2009-10 Army Rifle Media Guide

2009-102009-10

• 2009-10 Army Rifle

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Table of Contents/Quick Facts ...............................................................1Team Roster.............................................................................................1Tronsrue Marksmanship Center .............................................................22009-10 Season Outlook .......................................................................3Head Coach Maj. Ron Wigger ............................................................. 4-5Support Staff ...........................................................................................5Black Knights Profi les ....................................................................... 6-102008-09 Season In Review ................................................................. 112008-09 Results/Statistics ................................................................. 12GARC History ........................................................................................ 13GARC Honors ........................................................................................ 14Army History .....................................................................................15-16Army All-Americans ...............................................................................17Army Records ........................................................................................ 18West Point Administration ................................................................... 19Athletic Director Kevin Anderson ........................................................ 20West Point Information ...................................................................21-22Distinguished Graduates ..................................................................... 23In The Community ................................................................................ 24Schedule ................................................................................. Back Cover

QUICK FACTS

Location ............................................... West Point, N.Y. 10996

Founded ......................March 16, 1802 by an Act of Congress

Enrollment ........................................................................4,400

Superintendent .......................Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck

Athletic Director ................................................Kevin Anderson

Nickname............................................................. Black Knights

Colors ....................................................... Black, Gold and Gray

Conference .............................Great America Rifl e Conference

Head Coach ............. Maj. Ron Wigger (Eastern Kentucky ’83)

Record at Army (Years)................................................71-27 (9)

Career Record (Years) .................................................71-27 (9)

Rifl e Offi ce Phone ........................................... (845) 938-4558

Senior Associate Athletic Director ......................... Bob Beretta

Rifl e Contact .........................................................Mady Salvani

Salvani’s Direct Line .......................................(845) 938-3512

Athletic Communications Fax ........................ (845) 466-2556

Salvani’s E-Mail [email protected]

Army Offi cial Web Site .......................www.goARMYsports.com

Army ‘A’ Line ................................................... (845) 938-ARMY

2009 Record .........................................................................7-6

2009 Conference Finish ..........................................5th (GARC)

2009 NCAA Championships .................................................6th

Letterwinners Returning/Lost .............................................7/3

2009-10 Team Captain ......................................Charles Ridge

Facility .................................... Tronsrue Marksmanship Center

CREDITS The 2009-10 Army Rifl e media guide is an offi cial

publication of the U.S. Military Academy Offi ce of Athletic

Communications.

The guide was written and edited by Mady Salvani and

designed by Ryan Yanoshak. Editing assistance was provided

by Tracy Nelson and Annie Holliday. Photos courtesy of Jon

Malinowski and DOIM Multimedia Branch. Design of the front

covers was by Mady Salvani.

ARMY RIFLE ON THE INTERNET Once again the Army rifl e team will have a presence on the

Internet, as the Black Knights’ season will be fully chronicled

on the Army Athletic Association Web site, maintaineded

by Jump TV Sports. Biographical information, stats, feature

stories, match reports and much more can be found at:

www.goARMYsports.com

2009-10 ARMY RIFLE ROSTERName Cl. Ht. Hometown/High SchoolChris Arnett* So. 6-2 New Haven, Ind./Concordia Luth.Kelly Buck* So. 5-5 Reading, Mass./Austin PrepTommy Carr* So. 6-1 Lebanon, Pa./Cedar CrestSara Lehman* So. 5-5 St. Johns, Mich./St. JohnsChris Malachosky Fr. 5-7 Spring, Texas/KleinWill Mengon Fr. 5-11 Ambridge, Pa./Quigley CatholicJohn Manzano* Jr. 5-6 Syracuse, N.Y./SyracusePatrick Northam* Jr. 5-10 Morgantown, N.C./FreedomCharles Ridge* Sr. 5-9 Langhorne, Pa./NeshaminyJoshua Savage Fr. 5-7 Starkville, Miss./StarkvilleIan Young Fr. 5-7 Columbus, Ga./Northside*Letterwinner

Head Coach: Maj. Ron Wigger, 10th SeasonTeam Captain: Charles RidgeHead Offi cer Representative: Major Charles Fagerquist Head Manager: Graham Clark

TABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTS

• www.goARMYsports.com

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ARMY TRONSRUE RECORDSIndividual

Air Rifl e, 60 Shots (600): 594 Chris Abalo vs. Memphis, 10/17/06 Chris Abalo vs. UAK, 01/22/08 Smallbore 3-Position (600): 589 Chris Abalo vs. TCU, 11/10/07Aggregate: 1177 Chris Abalo vs. Memphis, 10/17/06

TeamAir Rifl e, 240 Shots (2400): 2357 vs. NC State & Nebraska, 11/18/07Abalo (590), Kern (589), Scherer (587), Hess (591)

Smallbore 3-Position, 240 Shots (2400): 2325 vs. TCU, 11/10/07 Abalo (589), Kern (584), Scherer (586), Amiot (578)

Combined, 480 shots (4800): 4681 vs. Alaska Fairbanks, 1/16/07Abalo (587/584), Fiddes (592/583), Hess (589 AR), Amiot (588 AR) Kern (584 SM), Hamilton (574 SM)

TRONSRUE MARKSMANSHIP CENTERTRONSRUE MARKSMANSHIP CENTER

Army’s athletic program has been signifi cantly enhanced by several state-of-the-art facilities benefi ting numerous Black Knight athletes. The construction and improvement of facilities on the West Point campus has had a positive impact on Army’s 25 intercollegiate sports. The prominent rise of the rifl e team as one the top programs in the nation, cap-turing its fi rst NCAA title in 2005 followed by the bronze in 2006 and silver in 2007 and 2008, is due partly to Tronsrue Marksmanship Center. Completed in January 2000, the range underwent major reconstruction after a portion of the facility was destroyed by fi re in 1996. The indoor marksmanship center, located next to Gillis Field House along the banks of the Hudson, is equipped with three ranges to include housing the club pistol team. The rifl e range has 20 fi ring points, six more than the former range, with dis-tances of 10 meters for air rifl e and 50 feet for smallbore. The air rifl e range, used exclusively for air gun training and competition, also has 20 fi ring points and is shared by both the rifl e and pistol teams. Army acquired 40 (20 smallbore, 20 air rifl e) state-of-the-art electronic targets by MEGAlink November of 2006 to put Tronsrue on the cutting edge of technology. Army unveiled its newly minted Tronsrue Marksmanship Center on a national stage when it hosted the 2003 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Rifl e Championships, marking the national championship’s fi rst appearance at West Point since 1991. The Black Knights hosted the 2008 NCAA Championships in March, the fi fth time in the NCAA’s 29-year rifl e history that West Point was chosen as the host site. Army fi rst hosted the tournament in 1981, the second year that the rifl e championships came under the NCAA’s auspices. The Black Knights hosted the championship four years later, fi nishing fi fth in putting the fi nishing touches on an 11-2 season. The NCAA Championships returned to West Point in 1991, and the Black Knights took sixth in air rifl e. Army was host again in 2003 and last spring. Tronsrue took center stage again in 2004 when it hosted the Great America Rifl e Championships with the Black Knights placing sec-ond. Funding for the reconstruction and renovation of the range was included in West Point’s Bicentennial Campaign plan as part of its “Mar-gin of Excellence” initiative. Government funds were utilized along with private funds. The lead donors for the project were George Marion Tronsrue III (USMA ’78) and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Petrie (USMA ’67). On April 13, 2002, the center was dedicated to honor the American soldier and Tronsrue’s father (George Marion Tronsrue, USMA ’52), a four-year member of the Army rifl e team. “Tronsrue is the largest collegiate rifl e facility in the country,” stated Wigger, the benefi ciary of the state-of-the-art facility. “It already has had an immense impact on recruiting. Bringing a prospective candidate into this facility is paramount to a football recruit viewing Michigan’s Stadium in Ann Arbor or Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., for the fi rst time. It is the same effect. “Not only does it provide us an ideal practice facility, but a range that gives us pride knowing it is the best in the country. The dividends are evident in the number of records we have broken and continually challenge.” Army captured the Great America Rifl e Conference regular-season title with 6-0 marks in 2005 and 2008. The Black Knights won their fi rst-ever GARC Championship in 2008 after fi nishing runner-up four straight years. The Black Knights have compiled a 52-16 dual mark over the past six years, which includes top NCAA fi nishes. Army captured its fi rst title in 2005 after edging Jacksonville State by a point, took second in 2007 and 2008, third 2006, fourth in 2004 and sixth last spring.


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SEASON OUTLOOKSEASON OUTLOOK

A young but experienced Army rifl e team makes its 2009-10 debut on the road, where it has six dual matches and its part of three tournament fi eld, against NCAA participant Jacksonville State. Highlighting the schedule is NCAA champion West Virginia, the Presi-dent’s Trophy Match along with the Palmyra Tournament. Army has fi nished among the leaders at the NCAA and Great America Rifl e Conference championships since head coach Ron Wigger lifted the program to the forefront of the nation’s best programs shortly after taking the reins 10 years ago. His Black Knights were not listed among the preseason national or GARC favorites last year following the graduation of a senior class that turned in top three fi nishes all four years a the NCAA Championships to include Army’s fi rst-ever title. Despite those odds, a young Army team overcame a slow fi rst half start with a strong second half performance highlighted by qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the sixth straight year. Four of the fi ve mem-bers of the Army squad that competed at the NCAAs return to form this year’s nucleus. “The one missing element that we don’t have this year that we have had the last few years is a ‘go to person’,” noted Wigger who has compiled a 71-27 nine-year mark. “Right now, we don’t have that elite performer we have had in the past, but we have experience in that direction.” It will be a tall task to qualify for the NCAAs as Wigger heads into the season for the fi rst time in several years without an All-American attached to Army’s name. Senior team captain Charles Ridge is the most experienced shooter among the seven returning letterwinners in which four freshmen received certifi cates last year. Ridge was a member of Army’s four-man fi ring unit in both disciplines at the 2009 NCAA Championships after qualifying indi-vidually in smallbore the previous year. Sophomore Kelly Buck turned in a strong performance at the NCAAs where she fi nished fourth individually in smallbore, just the fourth freshman to fi nish among the leaders under Wigger. Also returning as NCAA participants with Buck and Ridge are junior John Manzano and sophomore Sara Lehman. Rounding out the rest of Army’s returning letterwinners are junior Patrick Northam, sophomores Chris Arnett and Tommy Carr with newcomers Chris Malachosky, William Mengon, Joshua Savage and Ian Young, comprising the rest of the roster in which 73 percent is made up of underclassmen. “I feel the team has as much parity as any team I have had,” noted Wigger who feels it is too early to predict what to expect of a young team yet to have a competitive match. “Right now I have seven to eight mem-bers of the squad vying for one of the four counting positions week in and week out, and my job of picking the team is going to be extremely chal-lenging. It was the same way last year. “Until we have a few competitions, it will be hard for me to start weed-ing out who the top performers will be. It may be all season where I am constantly in fl ux and changing. “ Army’s seven returning letterwinners ranked among the team’s top eight performers throughout last year, and, along with a talented fresh-man class provide Wigger a deep squad. Ridge assume the leadership role with two years of NCAA experience to draw upon and is capable of taking the team to a higher level in its bid to qualify for the NCAA Champi-onships for the seventh straight year. Ridge, Buck, Lehman and Manzano are among Army’s most consis-tent returning shooters. A member of both fi ring units in her fi rst trip last year to the NCAA Championships, Lehman competed at the U.S. Nationals over the summer. Wigger is looking for her to emerge as one of his top shooters in this her fi nal year of eligibility. Buck is coming off a strong fi n-ish last year and Ridge is equally profi cient in both events, while Manzano is the hardest worker on the team. Carr, Arnett and Northam continue to make progress during the preseason and are expected to provide the team with solid scores, Young has the top resume among the newcomers and could make his

presence felt immediately having come from a strong program as member of the Ft. Benning Junior Rifl e Club supervised by the U.S. Army Marks-manship unit. Mengon has impressed Wigger with his progress during the preseason training and could break into Army’s counting team based on that performance. Savage and Malachosky round out Army’s rookie squad, and both are working hard in their training. The Black Knights, members of the most competitive rifl e conference in the country, will most likely be ranked third or fourth in the preseason trailing NCAA champion West Virginia and Kentucky. After edging the Mountaineers for last year’s conference title, Kentucky fi nished runner-up at the national championships with Army placing sixth as three GARC teams fi nished among the national leaders. Wigger feels that on paper Army is about the same level as it was last year, but the only difference is having an All-America or two on the squad. “That doesn’t mean we can’t make a few All-Americans this year,” he notes. “It is hard to predict potential and performance, but we will put in the effort and see what happens.” Army’s schedule is a challenging one this year as four of its 11 dual opponents (West Virginia, Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Navy) were NCAA participants along with the Black Knights. The Mountaineers and Wildcats, who fi nished fi rst and second, are also members of the Great America Rifl e Conference along with Army, while the Gamecocks and Mid-shipmen fi nished third and seventh, respectively. Army opens its 2009-10 slate on the road (where it has six dual matches and is part of three tournament fi elds) for the second straight year when it heads to Alabama to take on Jacksonville State. The Black Knights make their home and GARC debut at Tronsrue Marksmanship Center hosting North Carolina State and Nebraska on Oct. 16 and 18, respectively. The Huskers fi nished fourth, a spot ahead of Army, at last year’s GARC Championships, while the Wolfpack were seventh. Returning to the road, Army travels to Oxford, Miss., for a pair of GARC matches versus Ole Miss (Oct. 31), and Memphis the next day. Ole Miss will once again be the site for the GARC Championships. The Black Knights will be the host site for this year’s President’s Tro-phy Match (Nov. 7), taking on defending champion Navy along with Air Force and Coast Guard. Army fi nished second last year after having its three-year reign snapped by the Midshipmen . As the fall season starts winding down, the Black Knights head to West Virginia to face the defending NCAA champions and GARC rival Moun-taineers. Last year West Virginia outpointed the Black Knights 4659-4616 at West Point, and went on to fi nish runner-up to Kentucky at the GARC Championships. Army closes out its fall campaign hosting the Coast Guard Academy before breaking for the holidays and exams. Following almost a two-month hiatus, the Black Knights usher in the winter slate against defending GARC champion Kentucky (also runner-up at the NCAA Championships) Jan. 16, at Tronsrue. Returning to the road, Army makes back-to-back trips to Pennsylvania in January starting with Ohio State in a match held in conjunction with the Palmyra Invitational on Jan. 24. The Black Knights return to the Keystone State fi ve days later for the NRA Sectionals hosted by the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. The Black Knights put the fi nishing touches on their mini road slate with a visit to arch-rival Navy Feb. 6. The Midshipmen snapped Army’s three-matcher series win streak last year at West Point after eking out a six-point decision, 5782-5776. The Black Knights will be looking to avenge that loss in their bid to post their third straight win in Annapolis dating back to 2006 when they put the skids to Navy’s 12-match series win streak. The fi nal regular-season dual match is versus USP in the NCAA Qualifi er on Feb. 13 as Army looks to qualify for the NCAA Championships (March. 12-13 in Fort Worth, Texas) for the seventh straight year. It will also serve as a tune-up for the GARC Championships (Feb. 27-28) where the Black Knights, who captured their fi rst-ever GARC title in 2008, are hoping to be in the thick of battle once again after fi nishing fi fth last year.


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HEAD COACH RON WIGGERHEAD COACH RON WIGGER

Ron WiggerEastern Kentucky ‘83

10th SeasonRecord At Army: 64-21

Since taking over the reins of Army’s rifl e program 10 years ago, Maj. Ron Wigger, a two-time National “Coach of the Year” selec-tion, led the Black Knights to their fi rst NCAA title and a nod from President George W. Bush in April 2006. “To be able to make history here at the Academy has been very rewarding,” said Wigger, who returned Army to national promi-nence in the new millennium en route to compiling a 64-21 dual mark for a winning percentage of .753. Wigger started rewriting Army’s record books soon after taking over the program. The Black Knights earned a team berth to the NCAA Championships by his second year. In 2004, the Black Knights qualifi ed in both disciplines followed by the most successful season in school history the following year when Army capped its magical campaign by winning the 2005 NCAA title. The Black Knights won by the closest mar-gin in NCAA history, edging Jacksonville State by a single point for the crown along with de-throning perennial powerhouse and six-time defending champion Alaska Fairbanks. Not only was it the fi rst national title in rifl e history, but the fi rst since pistol captured the NRA crown in 1991. It was also the fi rst NCAA crown by any Army varsity program since 1949 (fencing). The Black Knights started off their 2005 “Cinderella” season winning eight straight matches that included a perfect 6-0 Great America Rifl e Conference (GARC) mark en route to capturing their fi rst regular-season title. Army repeated as runner-up at the con-ference championships. Honors continued to roll in for the team that etched its name into the history annals as a school-record fi ve rifl emen earned All-America accolades by the National Rifl e As-sociation (NRA), and Wigger repeated as the national and GARC “Coach of the Year.” It was the third GARC coaching honor in Army’s four-year association. The 2005-06 campaign was capped with Army fi nishing among the Top Four at the NCAA’s for the third straight year after captur-ing the bronze trophy, equaling their second-highest fi nish at the championships. Army’s 9-2 season mark (broken in 2007) was the highest win total since posting a 13-3 showing in 1998-99. Included in its season highlights was the Black Knights’ fi rst win over Navy since 1990 after snapping the Mids’ 12-match win streak. Army fi nished second at the GARC Championships followed by its third straight trip to the NCAA Champi-onships.

The team concluded the season with a visit to the White House in April where Army (based on its 2005 title) was among a dozen NCAA championship teams that met with President George Bush during a special ceremony in the Rose Garden. Five Black Knights were selected by the NRA for All-American honors, equaling the school mark set the previous year, en route to collecting seven certifi cates. Two of the last three years proved to be exciting campaign under Wigger, capped by runner-up honors at the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and 2008, along with winning the team’s fi rst GARC Championship in 2008. Army posted a 10-2 dual mark in 2007 and bettered that last year with a 10-1 and lone loss to Alaska Fairbanks. Five Black Knights were accorded All-America honors in 2007 and four earned certifi cates in 2008. Prior to winning its fi rst NCAA title in 2005, Wigger guided the Black Knights to a fourth-place fi nish at the 2004 meet after meeting the qualifying standards in both disciplines for the fi rst time since 1987. Wigger concluded his second year at the helm by leading Army’s air rifl e team to a berth at the 2002 NCAA Tournament and a fi fth-place fi nish in that discipline after edg-ing Navy by a point. It was the fi rst time that the Black Knights, who were reinstated to the varsity ranks in 1997-98 following a three-year hiatus, qualifi ed since 1992. Since taking over the program in the fall of 2000, Wigger has had an All-American every year, including a record fi ve three consecutive seasons - 2005, 2006 and 2007 - and four last year. One of the fi nest coaches in the his-tory of the program, Wigger has developed 11 All-Americans, including six fi rst-team picks, which have combined for 31 certifi cates.

Kim Pienkowski was a fi rst team All-Amer-ica selection in air rifl e Wigger’s inaugural year, becoming the fi rst Black Knight named to that unit since 1991. A three-time honoree under Wigger, she was an honorable mention selection in both disciplines her senior year. Chris Abalo made history in 2005 as the fi rst Army plebe selected an All-American in both disciplines and just the second Black Knight to accomplish that feat. He repeated the next three years, setting a school record with eight fi rst team All-America certifi cates. The most decorated shooter in school history, Abalo excelled both nationally and internationally. Last year he captured Army’s fi rst NCAA individual title (smallbore), set a national smallbore prone record and NCAA smallbore mark, and competed with the USA Team at the World Cub. Twice he was voted the NCAA Shooter of the Match and was a three-time GARC Shooter of the Year. Stephen Scherer earned a pair of fi rst team all-America certifi cates along with competing at the Olympic Games in Beijing last year. Two-time team captain Paul Charbonneau, a four-year member of Wigger’s fi rst class, was a four-time All-American. Last year, Da-vid Amiot and Brian Kern joined Abalo and Scherer in garnering All-America certifi cates. In another Army fi rst, Abalo and Wesley Hess competed at the World Junior Shooting Championships in the spring of 2006, with Abalo setting the pace for Team USA in two of the three events in which he qualifi ed. Wigger has enjoyed an equally prosperous showing in the GARC where Army has crowned seven individual champions over the past six years, along with claiming three shooter of the year awards in Abalo (2006-09) along with a pair of rookie of the year honors (Abalo 2005/Scherer 2008). In addition, Army has earned 65 All-GARC certifi cates. Over the past eight years, Wigger’s teams have established new school marks, shatter-ing team and individual records that were on the books when he took over the program. All three team scores (air rifl e, smallbore and ag-gregate), along with seven individual marks, were broken and reset his fi rst three years. Abalo holds four of the six school marks, with Scherer and John Fiddes holding the remain-ing two. Competing against the top rifl e programs in the nation, Wigger has compiled a win-ning percentage of .724 (71-27) over nine years at the helm to rank third all-time in victories. He was instrumental in Army join-ing the Great America Rifl e Conference in 2001-02 after leading the Black Knights to a 7-1 mark the previous year. He guided Army


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to a fourth-place fi nish its inaugural year in the GARC, one of the top conferences in the country, and his efforts earned him “Coach of the Year” plaudits. His peers bestowed that honor upon him again in 2004 and 2005 after Wigger guided Army to second place during the 2004 regu-lar-season, while going undefeated the follow-ing year. Army has collected its share of GARC hon-ors in the eight years it has been a member, earning eight in 2004, 15 in 2005, 10 in 2006, nine in 2007 and 11 in 2008 .. The Black Knights have earned 25 fi rst team certifi cates, 26 second team certifi -cates and 14 honorable mentions. Charbonneau became the fi rst Black Knight crowned a GARC champion in 2003. Abalo is a fi ve-time GARC champion, winning a pair of titles in smallbore and aggregate, while Scherer captured the air rifl e title last year and was runner-up to Abalo in the aggre-gate. Abalo was a .three-time “Shooter of the Year”, and top rookie along with Scherer. Wigger has carved out an impressive slate both as a coach and competitor at the nation-al and international levels. Ranked among the nation’s top shooters in smallbore prone, Wigger competed for one of two berths in that event at the 2004 Olympic Trials. The Army mentor was awarded the Inter-national Distinguished Shooter Badge by USA Shooting in the summer of 2002 based on his gold medal performance in smallbore prone at the 1988 World Cup in Mexico City.

Runner-up at the USA Shooting National Championships in 1987 and 1991, Wigger was a member of the All-Guard smallbore rifl e team that captured the 1993 national team championship at Camp Perry, Ohio. He was also among the fi nal six shooters competing for a spot on the 1992 Olympic Team. Wigger placed fi rst in his signature event in the Master Service (Military) category at the 2006 National Championships, and seventh among 256 shooters in the Open Division. At the 2008 USA Shooting National Cham-pionships, he was runner-up in the Senior Men’s Prone Rifl e event and 37th overall. He also holds the Distinguished Rifl e Marksmanship Badge. As a collegian, Wigger was a member of Eastern Kentucky’s nationally ranked rifl e team that fi nished third at the 1983 NCAA Championships. Commissioned in the In-fantry Branch following graduation in 1983, Wigger earned his master’s degree in sport management at the U.S. Sports Academy in

Daphne, Ala. Wigger’s sister, Deena, competed at the 1988 Olympic Games, fi nishing 10th in small-bore, while his father, Lones, is a two-time Olympic gold med-alist and four-time qualifi er. Lones, one of the inaugural members of the USA Shoot-ing Hall of Fame, was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame in 2008. Wigger and his wife, the former Lorraine Bravo, reside at West Point with their daughters: Alicia, 18; Karina, 16; and Mi-chelle, 11.

HEAD COACH RON WIGGERHEAD COACH RON WIGGER

Wigger Year-By-YearYear Record Pct. GARC

2000-01 7-1 .875 -- 2001-02 5-4 .556 4th2002-03 7-6 .538 5th2003-04 8-3 .727 2nd2004-05 8-2 .800 2nd2005-06 9-2 .818 2nd2006-07 10-2 .833 2nd2007-08 10-1 .909 1st2009-08 7-6 .538 5th(9 Years) 71-27 .724

The Wigger File•Since taking over the reins in 2000-01, Ron Wigger has breathed new life into the program. Army had an individual qualifi er in air rifl e his fi rst season, earned a team berth (fi rst since 1992) in that event the following year along with an individual qualifi er. •Army has qualifi ed the last six years for the NCAAs in both team events, and fi nished in the Top Four fi ve times. Its selection in 2004 was Army’s fi rst since 1987, while its fourth place fi nish was the second-best at the time.•The Black Knights captured their fi rst NCAA title in school history in 2005 followed by the bronze in 2006 and the silver the past two years. •The Army mentor was recognized nationally as the “Coach of the Year” in 2004 and 2005 by the Collegiate Rifl e Coaches Association along with earning GARC honors three times, including back-to-back honors in 2004 and 2005.•Since joining the Great America Rifl e Conference (GARC), he has led the Black Knights to the regular-season crown in 2006 and 2008 along with the school’s fi rst championship title last year. •Ron Wigger’s father, Lones, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time qualifi er who holds 29 world records.•Coach Wigger was among the fi nal six shooters vying for one of two 1992 Olympic team spots. His sister, Deena, competed at the 1988 Olympic Games where she fi nished 10th in smallbore. •Still active competitively, Wigger was the smallbore prone champion in the Master Service (Military) category at the 2006 National Championships. He was runner-up at the Senior Men’s Prone Rifl e and 37th out of 93 overall this past June.SUPPORT STAFF

Maj. Charlie FagerquistHead Offi cer Representative

Graham ClarkHead Manager

Maj. Ron Wigger (left) with his father, Lones.


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Elected to lead the team this year as its captain ... one of the most seasoned shooters that young Army squad will rely on ... has two years of NCAA championship experience and one of four returnees who competed at last year’s meet ... equally strong in both events and will be counted on for leadership as lone senior on squad ... excellent student who earned Collegiate Rifl e Coaches Association Academic honors ... three-year letterman.

Awards/Honors•Elected by Peers to Lead Team as the Captain in 2009-10•Member of Army’s Air Rifl e Team at 2008 NCAA Qualifi er •Qualifi ed Individually in Smallbore for 2008 NCAA Championships •2008 Collegiate Rifl e Coaches Association All-Academic Award

2008-09: Competed in second half of season after spending fall as exchange student at St. Cyr (French Military Academy) ... turned in career-high 585 in air rifl e shooting individually at the GARC Champi-onships ... broke previous mark by three points ... score ranked 10th among fi eld of 49 shooters ... fi red 563 as member of Army’s fi ring smallbore unit en route to recording team’s highest aggregate score of 1148 to rank 18th ... highest individual fi nish was third place against USP in regular-season fi nale ... posted a season-high 578 in smallbore, two shy of career mark, against defending NCAA champi-on Alaska Fairbanks ... fi nished fourth overall after turning in Army’s third highest match score of the meet ... headed to NCAA Champion-ships as member of both disciplines ... fi red a 571 in smallbore and 580 in air rifl e helping Army to sixth-place fi nish.

2007-08: Earned fi rst career start as member of the Black Knights’ air rifl e unit at the NCAA Qualifi er … posted 575 along with recording personal best 580 in smallbore to qualify individually for the NCAA Championship... turned in a strong performance in fi rst NCAA meet with a 577 in smallbore ... mark was the fourth best score by a Black Knight ... fi nished 28th in smallbore at the GARC Championships and 33rd in air rifl e ... recorded a 579 smallbore score in fourth-place fi nish against TCU in the fall … career-high 582 in air rifl e post-ed in home conference sweep of North Carolina State and Nebraska ... turned in fi fth best mark in that meet by a Black Knight in air rifl e to fi nish seventh while 573 in smallbore tied for fi fth place … fi red 581 for third best score by a Black Knight in win over Kentucky.

2006-07: Spent fi rst season competing individually in home match-es in both disciplines … turned in a season-high 581 air rifl e score in fi rst collegiate match against Memphis to tie for ninth place … second best mark of 580 recorded at the GARC Championships ... score was the fourth best fi red by a Black Knight ... registered a 578 during the regular-season against NCAA participant Kentucky

… highest smallbore score of 572 recorded against the Wildcats ... score bettered previous mark of 570 set in fi rst collegiate meet ver-sus Memphis.

Prior to West Point: Competed for Langhorne Rod and Gun Club ... Pennsylvania Junior air rifl e champion and two-time three-position champion … fi ve-time air rifl e Junior Olympic qualifi er … helped lead club team to the 2004 NRA three-position air rifl e championship.

Personal: Given name is Charles Kenneth Ridge … son of Ken and Jill Ridge … majoring in French.

SHOOTER PROFILESSHOOTER PROFILES

CHARLES

RIDGESENIOR

LANGHORNE, PA.NESHAMINY H.S.

Ridge’s Career HighsSmallbore 580 NCAA Qualifi er 02/15/08Air Rifl e 585 GARC Championships 03/01/09


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PATRICK

NORTHAMJUNIOR

MORGANTOWN, N.C.FREEDOM H.S.

JOHN

MANZANOJUNIOR

SYRACUSE, N.Y.WESTHILL H.S.


Manzano’s Career HighsSmallbore 576 NC State/Nebraska 11/18/07Air Rifl e 581 Alaska Fairbanks 01/22/08

Dedicated shooter who has a constant desire to practice ... has love of sport that teammates appreciate ... among hardest workers on team ... has made steady progress since freshman year ... capable of performing at higher level and could prove to be one of Army’s top shooters fi nal two seasons ... one of four returning shooters with NCAA Championship experience ... competed as member of last year’s smallbore team ... two-year letterman.

2008-09: The lone sophomore among fi ve Black Knights compet-ing at the NCAA Championships ... worked way into starting lineup in smallbore by third meet of season ... posted a season-high 575 (one off career high) smallbore score in meet with Nebraska ... score was Army’s second highest in the match ... highest individual fi n-ish of third place posted against The Citadel ... started off season as member of the air rifl e unit ... set season-high 580, one shy of personal best, at the NRA Sectionals ... previous high 579 recorded during the fall in meets against Air Force, West Virginia and TCU ... recorded highest individual fi nish of fourth place in win over the Fal-cons ... posted a 567 in air rifl e and 556 in smallbore in helping Army to fi fth-place fi nish at the GARC Championships ... turned in a 571 smallbore score competing in fi rst NCAA meet ... helped the Black Knights post a 2291 to fi nish fi fth in that event.

2007-08: Appeared in four home matches during the fall campaign competing in both events … part of traveling team in fi rst road trip to Annapolis, Md., for regular-season fi nale at Navy ... competed at the Great America Rifl e Championships in air rifl e ... fi red season highs in both guns in match versus Alaska Fairbanks in second half of season ... registered a 575 in smallbore and 581 in air rifl e ... turned in second highest score in air rifl e of 571 in Navy meet ... posted a 566 smallbore score against Nebraska and North Carolina State in fi nal match of fall season.

Prior to West Point: Earned a host of awards in 2006 at the Outdoor Junior Championships held at Camp Perry … received high expert award for smallbore prone, high junior award and the Whistler Boys’ team award … earned three varsity letters in hockey as a defense-man at Westhill H.S. … top student in engineering in graduating class.

Personal: Given name is John Michael Manzano … son of John and Linda Manzano … oldest of three boys … younger brothers Dan (18) and Ryan (16) … majoring in Engineering Psychology.

Northam’s Career HighsSmallbore 572 Alaska Fairbanks 01/21/09 572 TCU 11/15/08Air Rifl e 575 Mississippi 10/17/08

Named Army’s most improved shooter last year ... continues to grow and develop along with sharpening mental game ... just lacking ex-perience necessary to be a key factor ... has potential to shoot big numbers ... battling for spot on fi ring teams this year after competing individually in both disciplines fi rst two years ... arrived at West Point with limited competitive experience at the high school level ... excel-lent student who twice garnered CRCA all-academic honors.

Awards/Honors•2008 Collegiate Rifl e Coaches Association All-Academic Team•2009 Collegiate Rifl e Coaches Association All-Academic Team

2008-09: Recorded career highs fi ring individually in both disci-plines ... posted a personal best 575 in air rifl e against Ole Miss in the fall and a few weeks later set a new high in smallbore, shattering previous high by six points, behind a 572 against TCU ... equaled smallbore score in second half of season against NCAA defend-ing champion Alaska Fairbanks ... member of fi ve-man team at the President’s Trophy Match ... posted Army’s third highest match score with a 564 ... recorded team’s second highest score against TCU in that discipline registering a 572.

2007-08: Competed in both disciplines appearing in all fi ve home meets fi rst year on the squad ... drew fi rst collegiate nod in season opener versus Akron ... turned in best performance in both events against TCU later in the fall ... recorded a 571 mark in air rifl e and 566 showing in smallbore ... second best mark of 556 in smallbore recorded second half of season against NCAA defending champion Alaska Fairbanks ... also fi red a 556 in air rifl e ... second highest score in air rifl e (563) recorded in triangular sweep of North Caro-lina State and Nebraska. Prior to West Point: Captured 2006 North Carolina state games in air rifl e with a 575 … shot six years with the North State Shooting Club (high power) and the North Carolina Rifl e and Pistol Associa-tion (high power)… on 2004 National Junior championship team that captured the Minuteman High Power Trophy at Camp Perry (Ohio).

Personal: Given name is Patrick Allen Northam … son of Linda and George Northam … younger siblings in Alyssa (10) and Edward (7) … Eagle Scout who has been on backpacking trips to New Mexico and the Boundary Waters between Canada and the U.S. … enjoys shooting, hiking, climbing and blacksmithing in spare time … major-ing in English.


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CHRIS

ARNETTSOPHOMORE

NEW HAVEN, IND.CONCORDIA LUTHERN SOPHOMORE

Arnett’s Career HighsSmallbore 561 USP 02/14/09Air Rifl e 576 TCU 11/15/08


KELLY

BUCKSOPHOMORE

READING, MASS.AUSTIN PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Earned spot on team last year as a walk-on ... despite limited experi-ence, made presence felt competing individually in several matches ... has potential to be fi rst walk-on under present-head coach Ron Wigger to be member of counting team ... turned in strong smallbore numbers during preseason workouts ... letterman.

2008-09: Walk-on who made presence felt competing individually in both disciplines ... fi rst collegiate competition was home match against GARC rival Ole Miss ... recorded career-high 576 mark in air rifl e against TCU in posting Army’s fi fth highest match score in that meet ... just missed equaling that score after fi ring 575s in second half of season against Alaska Fairbanks and Navy, respectively ... career high 561 in smallbore posted against USP in the NCAA Quali-fi er in regular-season fi nale ... turned in Army’s fourth highest mark in air rifl e (570) in fi rst appearance at the GARC Championships.

Prior to West Point: Four-year member of the Concordia Lutheran H.S. JROTC rifl e team … competed three times at the West Regional Championships with highest fi nish of fourth place in the aggregate scoring in 2007 … last year helped team to the bronze while fi n-ishing sixth individually … placed 29th at the 2007 JROTC National Championships and competed three times at the USA Shooting Junior Olympics … earned medalist honors at state match all four years capturing smallbore twice (2006 and 2008), 3P air and inter-national air rifl e back-to-back seasons (2006 and 2007) and sporter 3P air rifl e in 2005 … served as team captain and JROTC Battalion Commander in 2007-08 … lettered in soccer.

Personal: Given name is Christopher Michael Arnett … parents’ names are Larry and Marianne Arnett … older brother Andrew served in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division in 2005 … majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Proved to be a pleasant surprise last year ... closed out season strong with a fourth place fi nish in smallbore at the NCAA Championships ... heads into second season as one of the team’s best smallbore shooters ... one of two Army freshmen to compete at NCAAs ... fi red in both disciplines ... strong under pressure and shoots well in big matches ... letterman.

2008-09: Worked way into Army’s NCAA lineup in both disciplines following strong showing at the NCAA Qualifi er ... in fi rst-ever appear-ance led team to fi fth place fi nish in smallbore along with placing fourth individually ... fi red a career-high 580 to rank sixth in the team competition along with qualifying for the fi nals ... registered the second highest mark of 98.1 in the fi nals to jump two spots to place fourth with a 678.2 composite ... recorded Black Knights’ top mark in smallbore at the GARC Championships behind a 573, which ranked 13th overall ... also member of air rifl e unit as Army fi nished fi fth in the aggregate scoring ... posted team’s third highest match score in air rifl e at the NCAA Qualifi er with a 581 ... mark equaled career high set previous week against Navy in sixth-place fi nish ... recorded career-high 576 (later broken) mark in smallbore against USP at the Qualifi er for Army’s second highest score at the meet ... member of counting unit in both disciplines throughout the season.

Prior to West Point: Silver medalist twice in women’s air rifl e along with medalist honors in women’s 3P smallbore at USA JORC Shoot-ing Championships January and December of 2006 … also picked up another honor capturing the bronze in women’s 3P smallbore … won a gold meal at the Intermediate Junior NRA Sectionals 3P smallbore in 2007 … competed the past three years at the Palmyra Invitational in both disciplines with top scores of 546 in smallbore and 556 in air rifl e … Rhode Island Outdoor metric 3P state cham-pion and second place honors at the Junior Match 7 metallic sights … three-year member of the Massachusetts Junior State Team … also competed for Reading Rifl e and Revolver Club, capturing the junior title in 2006 … garnered fi rst place honors in 3P smallbore at the 2007 Intermediate Junior NRA Sectionals … played forward in hockey at Austin Preparatory School.

Personal: Given name is Kelly Lin Buck … parents’ names are An-drew and Viwanna Buck … hails from service family … paternal grandfather (Thomas Buck) and great aunt (Margaret Buck) were in the Army, while father and uncles (Thomas and Paul Buck) were in the Navy … majoring in Psychology.

Buck’s Career HighsSmallbore 580 NCAA 03/13/09Air Rifl e 581 USP 02/14/09 581 Navy 02/07/09


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TOMMY

CARRSOPHOMORE

LEBANON, PA.CEDAR CREST H.S.

Much improved shooter coming off solid freshman year during which time he draw duty on counting team several times ... looking to build upon last year performance and has potential to be among Army’s top shooters ... improved scores, experience and confi dence gained along with a strong work ethic should take him to the next level ... provides depth in both disciplines ... has a great future as a Black Knight ... letterman.

2008-09: Competed in nine of 13 regular-season matches ... worked way into counting unit in smallbore in fi ve straight meets ... recorded season-high 574 smallbore mark in regular-season fi nale versus USP ... career-high 583 air rifl e shot against NCAA defending champion Alaska Fairbanks ... score was the third highest by a Black Knight ... fi rst collegiate match was against TCU as member of smallbore unit ... went on to compete with Army’s fi ring unit in that discipline in next four matches to include NRA Sectionals ... competed individually at the GARC Championships fi ring a 560 in smallbore and 570 in air rifl e for 1130 combined mark ... air rifl e score was fourth best by a Black Knight.

Prior to West Point: Five-year member of the Palmyra Sportsmen Junior Smallbore and Air Rifl e units … competed four years at the NRA National Smallbore Matches … Qualifi er in Junior Olympic Rifl e Championships in air rifl e (2007 and 2008) along with smallbore (2008) … competed at USA Shooting National Smallbore and Air Rifl e matches in 2007 … competitor at PA Junior Olympic Rifl e Cham-pionships from 2004 to 2007 and at the Palmyra Collegiate NCAA Invitational Matches the past four years … won 2007 American Le-gion State title in air rifl e … held rank of cadet colonel in Civil Air Patrol … four-year member of the outdoor track and cross country teams at Cedar Crest H.S.

Personal: Given name is Thomas Patrick Carr … son of Thomas and Belinda Carr … older sister Lindsay (23) … paternal grandfa-ther, James Meador, served four years as a Military Policeman in the Army … majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Heads into fi nal year of eligibility after competing two years at the club level at the University of Michigan ... easily made the move to the collegiate level contributing immediately in both disciplines ... excellent attitude and enthusiam ... seasoned and exciting shooter looking to make mark ... one of two freshmen who competed in both events at the NCAA Championships ... letterman.

2008-09: Closed out fi rst year as member of both counting events at the NCAA Championships ... recorded a 569 mark in smallbore along with fi ring a 575 in air rifl e as the Black Knights fi nished fi fth and seventh, respectively, in those discipline at the NCAAs en route to a sixth-place aggregate fi nish ... worked way into smallbore and air rifl e lineups at season’s start ... member of Army’s fi ring smallbore unit 10 times and 12 times in air rifl e ... turned in team’s second highest smallbore match score with 579 to fi nish third overall against NCAA defending champion Alaska Fairbanks ... bettered that score with 581 in runner-up fi nish against Navy ... placed fourth in that event against The Citadel and North Carolina State in season opener ... recorded career-high 583 in air rifl e after fi ring Army’s third highest match score of the meet against TCU ... competed as fi ring member of both disciplines at GARC Championships helping Army to a fi fth-place fi nish ... recorded 564 in smalbore and 576 in air rifl e to place 23rd and 27th, respectively, at the championships.

Prior to West Point: Attended the University of Michigan, compet-ing two years as a member of the club rifl e team … placed second in smallbore and third in air rifl e at the 2008 Western Intercolle-giate Rifl e Conference championships … 2008 Ohio State Indoor 3P champion … served as captain of team last year … owns several Junior National smallbore records … competed in tennis, track and fi eld, dance and volleyball at St. Johns H.S.

Personal: Given name is Sara Catherine Lehman …. parents’ names are Steven Lehman and Julie and Keith Peterson … older brother Na-than … has played violin since fi fth grade … majoring in Sociology.

SARA

LEHMANSOPHOMORE

ST. JOHNS, MICH.ST. JOHNS H.S.

Carr’s Career HighsSmallbore 574 USP 02/14/09Air Rifl e 583 Alaska Fairbanks 01/21/09

Lehman’s Career HighsSmallbore 581 Navy 02/07/09Air Rifl e 583 TCU 11/15/08


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WILL MENGON

FRESHMAN

AMBRIDGE, PA.QUIGLEY CATHOLIC

JOSHUA

SAVAGEFRESHMAN

STARKVILLE, MISS.STARKVILLE H.S.

CHRIS

MALACHOSKYFRESHMAN

SPRING, TEXAS

KLEIN H.S.

National Junior Olympic Qualifi er with promising talent looking to enhance skills ... drew limited competitive experience at the high school level but is working hard to gain more experience and knowl-edge in order to fl ourish at the collegiate level ... has talent to be successful.

Prior to West Point: Competed with Lake Houston 4-H Club all four years of high school ... fi nished 29th in fi eld of 100 shooters at Na-tional Junior Olympics ... led the 4-H team to the NRA Junior Rifl e Sectional Championships in 2008 along with taking runner-up hon-ors that year at the U.S. Army Junior Air Rifl e Championship ... came on the heels of fi rst place honors in the American Legion Air Rifl e Postal Championships in 2007 ... served as the 4-H Club president senior year and was the treasurer sophomore season.

Personal: Given name is Christopher Adam Malachosky ... parents’ names are Ed and June Malachosky .... cousins Andrea Nyce and William Slotter are currently serving in the Air Force, while uncle, William Slotter, is a member of the National Guard ... member of National Honor Society ... graduated ninth in class of 796 students ... major is undeclared.

Exciting newcomer expected to challenge for one of the top eight spots ... late bloomer who came on strong at end of senior year of high school ... progressed by leaps and bounds in the preseason ... in the thick of battle for spot on counting team ... continues to work on accuracy in both disciplines ... has experience at the Junior Olympic level.

Prior to West Point: Qualifi ed for Junior Olympics in air rifl e ... helped lead the Frazier Simplex Rifl e Team to the Pittsburgh Subur-ban League title ... NRA four-position match winner ... competed for Beaver County Sportsman’s Club in the Beaver Valley Conservation League, turning in a high score of 299 ... placed among leaders in multiple prone matches throughout Pennsylvania ... qualifi ed for the American Legion 3-position Air National Championships with a 582 ... earned three letters in golf at Quigley Catholic H.S. ... served as team captain senior year. Personal: Given name is William Albert Mengon ... parents’ names are Caroline and Dan Mengon ... Eagle Scout ... president of the Na-tional Honor Society ... three-year member of Mock Trial, capturing section and district championships along with third in state (out of 275 teams) in 2008 ... team captain senior year ... major is unde-clared.

Talented shooter with solid high school resume ... capable of making presence felt immediately as he battles veterans in bid to break into spot in the lineup ... received excellent coaching as member of the Ft. Benning Junior Rifl e Club which is supervised by the U.S. Army Marksmanship unit.

Prior to West Point: Lettered four years at Northside H.S. ... served as team captain senior year ... led high school team to three state titles along with garnering all-state honors during that period as well ... member of the Ft. Benning Junior Rifl e Club.

Personal: Given name is Ian Richard Young ... parents’ names are Dennis and Lauren Young ... youngest of three ... has an older sister (Kathryn) and brother (Matthew) ... National Honor Society member ...cousin John McCarthy is serving in the Marine Corps ... major is undeclared.

IAN

YOUNGFRESHMAN

COLUMBUS, GA.NORTHSIDE H.S.

Enters freshman year with solid base that will aid in continued growth and development ... Junior National prone record holder and a Mississippi State prone champion ... brings positive attitude and work ethic to the range.

Prior to West Point: Five-time Mississippi State junior prone cham-pion ... prone champion (master classifi cation) the last four years ... junior national record in men’s prone of 597 recorded at the Olym-pic Center in 2007 ... also fi red state smallbore record of 3197 that year ... shot independently ... at one point competed for Cross Roads Shooting Sports Association (CRSSA) ... ran cross country junior and senior years at Starkville H.S.

Personal: Given name is Joshua Matthew Savage ... parents’ names are John and Christy Savage ... member of the National Honor Soci-ety ... Eagle Scout ... major is undeclared.



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A rebuilding Army rifl e team peaked at just the right time as the Black Knights are among the top eight teams in the coun-try to qualify for the 2009 NCAA Championships being hosted by Texas Christian University March 13-14. It was the sixth straight year that the Black Knights, who fi n-ished runner-up in 2008 and 2007, earned a bid to the NCAAs under head coach Ron Wigger. The top eight teams for the NCAA Championships are deter-mined on an average of the three highest aggregate (smallbore and air rifl e) regular season scores, with no more than one match at any given site. That average score is added to the Qualifi er to determine the top eight teams. Army headed into its NCAA Qualifi er ranked seventh with a 4622.67 average, just below Navy (4629.00), but moved into the No. 6 spot after fi ring a 4625 while the Midshipmen dropped into the seventh position. “We made a lot of progress coming together this year as a team,” stated head coach Ron Wigger. “I feel good about the fu-ture as well as our conference tournament and the NCAAs Cham-pionships. “We have had good chemistry and it has been a fun year watching the team develop.” West Virginia (4664) and Kentucky (4658.33), two of the GARC (Great America Rifl e Conference) teams Army fell to, listed No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the NCAA Qualifi er rankings. Though the Black Knights were the 2008 GARC Champions, the graduation losses were heavy resulting in being picked third in the preseason poll. Army, which was runner-up at the NCAA Championships the past team years, was picked sixth in the Col-legiate Rifl e Coaches preseason season rankings. Army opened its fall slate sweeping a triangular against The

Citadel and North Carolina State, but lost four of its next seven matches to close out the fall 5-4. Army fell to GARC rivals Nebraska, Kentucky and West Virginia to post a 3-3 mark. By the second half of the season, Army’s young team, made up of freshmen and sophomores with one senior and three juniors, came together with strong perfor-mances. With the team’s youth came inconstancies for Wigger, but it was a problem he contin-ued to address and work on in the second half of the year. The Black Knights ushered in the portion of the schedule with a win over Ohio State at the Palmyra Tournament, followed by a season-high 4628 in a close loss to NCAA defending champion Alaska Fairbanks. A strong showing at the NRA Sectionals was followed by a home meet with Navy. The Midshipmen rolled to a 50-point margin over Army in the fall to capture the Pres-

ident’s Trophy Match, but the Black Knights threw a scare at Navy before suffering a six-point defeat (5782-5776) in the “Star” Match at Tron-srue Marksmanship Center. The Black Knights out-pointed Navy by a point in smallbore, but the Midship-men’s 2921-2914 win in air rifl e lifted them to their fi rst win over Army since 2005. A strong showing at the NRA Sectionals helped Ar-my’s position as the Black Knights moved from ninth place to sixth place with the three-score system. Army posted its second highest score of 2300 in smallbore while its 4627 aggregate was one off its season high. Army closed out its season against USP in its NCAA Qualifi er rolling to a 4625-4256 decision. The Black Knights’ fi red their third highest aggregate score of the season in closing out their dual slate 7-6, while their 2335 in air rifl e was one point shy of their season high. The Black Knights headed to the GARC Championships with high hopes as the defending champions. Regular-season cham-pion and No. 1 ranked Kentucky, captured the GARC title after edging No. 1 West Virginia by fi ve points. Army fi nished fi fth in the team standings compiling a 4553 following a fourth place showing in smallbore (2256) and fi fth in air rifl e (2297). Senior captian Wesley Hess fi nished sixth individually in air rifl e with a 101 for a fi nal 686.999 after fi ring the fourth high-est score among the eight qualifi ers in the shootoff. Freshman Kelly Buck turned in the Black Knights’ top match score of 573 in smallbore, fi nishing 13th in a fi eld of 48. In the combined scoring, Charles Ridge fi nished 18th with an 1148 and Hess was 22nd with an 1147 (586 AR, 561 SM). At the NCAAs, Hess recorded the highest score of 102.1 in the air rifl e shoot-off to fi nish fourth individually with a fi nal compos-ite of 689.1. He led the Black Knights in the team competition, where they posted a 2320, with a 587 to rank sixth among the eight shooters who qualifi ed for the fi nals. It is the second time in his career that Hess among the NCAA leaders in air rifl e, having placed sixth in 2007. Buck posted the second highest score of 98.1 in the individ-ual smallbore fi nals with a 678.2 composite to nip Kentucky’s Ethan Settlemires (678.1) for fourth place. The freshman fi red a career-high 580 in the team competition in leading Army to fi fth place with a 2291. Buck ranked sixth among the eight individuals who advanced to the fi nals. She also was a member of Army’s air rifl e (fi red a 578) that fi nished seventh) as Army fi nished sixth among the eight-team fi eld with a two-day-total of 4611, nipping Navy by fi ve points for that spot.

SEASON IN REVIEWSEASON IN REVIEW

Kelly Buck

Wesley Hess


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2008-09 STATISTICS2008-09 STATISTICS

SEASON HIGHS

TEAMAir Rifl e

2336 ............... vs. TCU ..............................................11/15/082335 ............... vs. USP .............................................02/14/092335 ............... vs. Navy ............................................ 02/07/092327 ............... vs. Alaska Fairbanks ........................ 01/21/092326 ............... vs. West Virginia ..............................10/18/092320 ............... vs. Ohio State ................................... 01/17/092320 ............... vs. The Citadel/NC State .................10/04/08

Smallbore2301 ............... vs. Alaska Fairbanks ........................ 01/21/092300 ............... NRA Sectionals ................................01/30/092300 ............... vs. Air Force ......................................10/11/082293 ............... vs. Nebraska .................................... 10/10/082290 ............... vs. USP (Qualifi er) ............................02/14/092290 ............... vs. West Virginia ..............................10/18/092286 ............... vs. Ole Miss ...................................... 10/17/09

Aggregate4628 ............... vs. Alaska Fairbanks ........................02/21/094627 ............... NRA Sectionals ................................01/30/094625 ............... vs. USP (Qualifi er) ...........................02/14/094620 ............... vs. TCU ..............................................11/15/084616 ............... vs. West Virginia ..............................10/18/084613 ............... vs. Air Force ......................................10/11/084600 ............... vs. Nebraska .................................... 10/10/08

INDIVIDUALAir Rifl e

593.............Stephen Scherer vs. USP .....................02/14/09592.............Wesley Hess vs. Air Force .....................10/11/08592.............Wesley Hess vs. Nebraska ................... 10/10/08591 .............Wesley Hess vs. Mississippi ................. 10/17/08591 .............Stephen Scherer vs. Navy .................... 02/07/09590.............Stephen Scherer at NRA Sectionals ....01/30/09589.............Wesley Hess vs. USP ............................02/14/09589.............Wesley Hess vs. Navy ........................... 02/07/09589.............Wesley Hess at NRA Sectionals ...........01/30/09589.............Wesley Hess vs. UAF ............................. 01/21/09589.............Wesley Hess vs. West Virginia ..............10/18/08

Smallbore589.............Stephen Scherer vs. Nebraska ............ 10/10/08589.............Stephen Scherer vs. Citadel/NC State ......10/04/08588.............Stephen Scherer at NRA Sectionals ....01/30/09585.............Stephen Scherer vs. UAF ...................... 01/21/09585.............Stephen Scherer vs. Air Force ..............10/11/08584 ............Stephen Scherer vs. Memphis/KY ......11/08/08584 ............Stephen Scherer vs. Ole Miss .............. 10/17/08583.............Stephen Scherer vs. USP .....................02/14/09583.............Stephen Scherer vs. TCU ......................11/15/08583.............Stephen Scherer vs. West Virginia.......10/18/08

NCAAs

Smallbore ...........................................5th

Kelly Buck .......................................... 580

Charles Ridge .....................................571

John Manzano ....................................571

Sara Lehman...................................... 569

Total .................................................. 2219

Air Rifl e ...............................................7th

Wesley Hess ........................................587

Charles Ridge .................................... 580

Kelly Buck ...........................................578

Sara Lehman.......................................575

Total ................................................... 2320

Wesley Hess in air rifl e and Kelly Buck in smallbore placed fourth, respectively, in their events.

2008-09 Results (7-6, 3-0 GARC) Army OpponentDate Opponent SBR A.R. AGG. SBR AR. AGG.Oct. 04 at The Citadel 2278 2320 4598 2197 2224 4416 w/NC State* 2278 2320 4598 2207 2274 4418Oct. 10 at Nebraska* 2293 2307 4600 2296 2323 4619 Oct. 11 vs. Air Force 2859 2313 5760 2821 2869 5690Oct. 17 MISSISSIPPI* 2286 2901 4595 2268 2318 4586 Oct. 18 WEST VIRGINIA* 2290 2309 4616 2313 2346 4659 Nov. 1 Pres. Trophy 2831 2873 5704 2ndNov. 8 at Kentucky* 2280 2310 4590 2304 2354 4658 w/Memphis* 2280 2310 4590 2244 2306 4550 Nov. 15 TEXAS CHRISTIAN 2284 2336 4620 2297 2336 4633Jan. 17 Ohio State+ 2270 2320 4590 2250 2337 4520 Jan. 21 ALAS-FAIRBANKS 2301 2327 4628 2308 2337 4645Jan. 30 at NRA Sectionals 2300 2327 4627 Feb. 7 NAVY 2862 2914 5776 2861 2921 5782Feb. 14 USP (NCAA qual.) 2290 2335 4625 2110 2146 4256 Feb. 28 at GARC Champ. 2256 (4th)March 1 at GARC Champ. 2297 (6th) 5thMarch 13 at NCAA Champ. 2219 (5th)March 14 at NCAA Champ. 2320 (7th) 6th

*GARC Match Home Matches in Bold CAPS+1st at Palmyra Tournament (Palmyra, Pa.)


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GARCGARC

Army Smallbore Team Prone Standing Kneeling TotalRidge 98-98 87-92 92-96 563Buck 98-96 97-96 94-92 573Manzano 99-100 87-85 93-92 556Lehman 97-99 86-92 94-96 564

Army Air Rifl e Team Air Rifl e Targets TotalBuck 93-95-96-94-93-97 568Manzano 93-95-95-96-95-93 567Hess 97-99-97-99-99-99 586Lehman 93-99-96-98-96-94 576

Army’s Top Individual Scorers SM A.R. Combined Amiot 569 580 17th (1149)Ridge 560 571 30th (1131)

2009 Honors

Shooter of the Year: ........................................... Tom Csenge (Kentucky)

Rookie of the Year: ....................................Ethan Settlemires (Kentucky)

Coach of the Year: ............................................ Harry Mullins (Kentucky)

Senior of the Year: ................................................ Wesley Hess (Army)

Team Sportsmanship: ................................................Memphis/Ole Miss

Army 2009 GARC All-Stars

First Team

Smallbore .......................................................................Stephen Scherer

Air Rifl e ...................................................................................Wesley Hess

Combined .......................................................................Stephen Scherer

Honorable Mention

Air Rifl e ............................................................................Stephen Scherer

Combined ..............................................................................Wesley Hess

2009 Championship Results A.R. SM Total

Kentucky 2340 2310 4650

West Virginia 2350 2295 4645

Nebraska 2327 2293 4620

Ole Miss 2322 2254 4576

ARMY 2297 2256 4553

Memphis 2295 2244 4539

N.C. State 2298 2239 4537 Wesley Hess was named the GARC Senior of the Year.

The Great America Rifl e Conference, currently seven strong to include Army, Kentucky, Memphis, Mississippi, Nebraska, West Vir-ginia, and North Carolina State, has been hailed as one of the tough-est conferences in the country. Army head coach Ron Wigger knew that the future of the Black Knights’ program would be enhanced and strengthened when he opted to join the GARC seven years ago. Not only is it a conference that excels at the range, but its student-athletes also shine in the classroom. Army captured the National Collegiate Rifl e Championship title in 2005, and though it was the Black Knights’ fi rst-ever, it was the 19th time that a member of the GARC claimed that honor. West Virginia has captured 14 NCAA titles and has been runner-up six times. Kentucky was runner-up three times and Xavier twice. The GARC, which began in 1998, has been well represented at the last eight NCAA championships with a national champion in Army (2005), six seconds and a pair of third-place fi nishes. At the 2005 NCAA Championships, Army captured the title with a 4659 composite, two points higher than third-place Nebraska with

Kentucky grabbing the fi nal spot in the six-team fi eld. The Huskers were second at the 2006 NCAA Championships followed by third-place Army with Mississippi and Kentucky fi nishing sixth and sev-enth, respectively. Army was runner-up in 2007 with GARC champion Kentucky fi nishing fourth, while the Black Knights won the silver again in 2008 with Nebraska, Kentucky and West Virginia sweeping the fourth through six spots, respectively. Army quickly solidifi ed its position in the GARC, fi nishing fourth at the championships its fi rst year (2001-02) along with runner-up honors four straight seasons before laying claim to its fi rst title in 2008. The Black Knights were regular season winners in 2005 and 2008. Army has come away with the lion’s share of GARC awards the past fi ve years, earning 50 all-league certifi cates and seven major awards. Chris Abalo picked up his third straight “Shooter of the Year” citation lin 2008 after earning rookie honors in 2005, while Scherer was the 2008 “Rookie of the Year.” Wigger earned coaching cita-tions in 2002, 2004 and 2005.


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GARC HONORS AND AWARDSGARC HONORS AND AWARDS

Paul Charbonneau John Fiddes David Amiot Kim PienkowskiWesley Hess

All-GARC SELECTIONSFirst Team

2004 .......Paul Charbonneau ......................... Air Rifl e, Aggregate2005 .......Chris Abalo ...................Smallbore, Air Rifl e, Aggregate.................Mike Jablonski ............................Smallbore, Aggregate.................Paul Charbonneau .............................................Air Rifl e2006 .......Chris Abalo ...................Smallbore, Air Rifl e, Aggregate2007 .......Chris Abalo ...................Smallbore, Air Rifl e, Aggregate.................John Fiddes ........................................................Air Rifl e2008 .......Chris Abalo ...................Smallbore, Air Rifl e, Aggregate.................Stephen Scherer ..........Smallbore, Air Rifl e, Aggregate.................Wesley Hess .......................................................Air Rifl e2009 .......Stephen Scherer .........................Smallbore, Aggregate.................Wesley Hess .......................................................Air Rifl e

Second Team2002 .......Jared Lostetter ...................................................Air Rifl e2003 .......Kim Pienkowski ..............................................Aggregate.................Paul Charbonneau ......................Smallbore, Aggregate2004 .......John Fiddes ..................................... Air Rifl e, Aggregate.................Paul Charbonneau .........................................Smallbore.................Lucas Leinberger ...........................................Smallbore2005 .......David Amiot ..................................... Air Rifl e, Aggregate.................John Fiddes .................................Smallbore, Aggregate.................Lucas Leinberger ...........................................Smallbore.................Mike Jablonski ...................................................Air Rifl e.................Paul Charbonneau .........................................Aggregate2006 .......Lucas Leinberger ........................Smallbore, Aggregate.................John Fiddes .................................Smallbore, Aggregate.................David Amiot ........................................................Air Rifl e2007 .......David Amiot ....................................................Smallbore.................Wesley Hess .......................................................Air Rifl e.................John Fiddes ....................................................Aggregate2008 .......Brian Kern ....................Smallbore, Air Rifl e, Aggregate

Honorable Mention2002 .......Jared Lostetter ...............................................Aggregate2003 .......Kim Pienkowski ...............................Smallbore, Air Rifl e2004 .......John Fiddes ................................................... Smallbore.................Lucas Leinberger ...........................................Aggregate2005 .......Paul Charbonneau .........................................Smallbore.................John Fiddes ........................................................Air Rifl e 2006 .......John Fiddes ........................................................Air Rifl e.................David Amiot ....................................................Aggregate2007 .......Brian Kern ......................................................Smallbore.................David Amiot ....................................................Aggregate

2008 .......David Amiot ........................................................Air Rifl e2009 .......Wesley Hess ...................................................Aggregate.................Stephen Scherer ................................................Air Rifl e

Shooter of the Year2006/07/08 .................................................................Chris Abalo

Rookie of the Year2005 ..............................................................................Chris Abalo2008 ....................................................................Stephen Scherer

Coach of the Year2002 ............................................................................ Ron Wigger2004 ............................................................................ Ron Wigger2005 ............................................................................ Ron Wigger

Scholar Athlete2005 .......................................................................Mike Jablonski2007/08 .......................................................................David Amiot

GARC Champions2003 .......Paul Charbonneau .........................................Smallbore2005 .......Chris Abalo ..................................Smallbore, Aggregate2007 .......Chris Abalo ......................................Smallbore, Air Rifl e2008 .......Stephen Scherer ................................................Air Rifl e2008 .......Chris Abalo .....................................................Aggregate

12-time SelectionChris Abalo .........................................................................2005-08

11-Time John Fiddes .......................................................................2004-07

Eight-Time Paul Charbonneau .......................................................2003-2005

Seven-Time David Amiot .......................................................................2005-08

Six-TimeStephen Scherer ...............................................................2008-09

Five-Time Lucas Leinberger ...............................................................2004-06Kim Pienkowski ...................................................................... 2003Mike Jablonski ........................................................................ 2005


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HISTORYHISTORY

Rifl e has enjoyed a long and distinguished 83-year history at West Point since testing its mettle in 1919 when it outshot Pennsylvania 940-849 in the lone match of the season. By the time the NCAA began sponsoring collegiate rifl e in 1979-80, the sport had been in place at the U.S. Military Academy for 58 years, never had a losing record, and posted 15 undefeated seasons, while suffering no more than one to two losses on 31 occasions. The rich tradition of the sport continues today under present coach Ron Wigger, who rewrote the history annals after leading Army to its fi rst NCAA Rifl e Championship in school history following a one-point edging of Jacksonville State for the 2005 crown. It also proved to be the closest title match in NCAA history. Army, placing fourth in 2004, was third in 2006 followed by a pair of runner-up fi nishes in 2007 and 2008. Following its inaugural season in 1919 under Capt. P.W. Newgar-den, Army returned to the varsity ranks from 1923 through 1936. During that span, rifl e registered seven undefeated seasons along with a school record 12 wins competing outdoors in 1925. The Black Knights turned in an exceptional effort during the 1933 season, registering a 6-1 record indoors and unblemished 5-0 mark during the spring outdoor campaign. The sport was discontinued for the 1937 and 1938 seasons be-fore returning to the range in 1939, which was also the inaugural year of the Army-Navy rivalry. The Mids edged Army the fi rst two years of the series, but the Black Knights erased that early start by winning 11 of the next 13 matches, including a run of six straight, in pulling out to an 11-4 lead in the rivalry. After Navy claimed the next three matches, the Black Knights strung together a pair of 5-0 runs during a 14-4 stretch to pull out to a commanding 25-11 advantage that helped carry Army through some rough times. Navy dominated the series from the 1990’s into the new millennium before Army snapped loose from a 12-match losing streak on Mid soil in the Black Knights’ regular-season fi nale in 2006. Army has won the last three matches to hold a 37-30 lead. Army ushered in the decades of the ‘40s with a 43-4 record over a fi ve-year span, including three unbeaten seasons (1941, 1942, and 1944). Overall, the sharpshooters registered an 84-10 mark, includ-ing a school record 13 wins during the 1946 campaign. The Black Knights bettered their win total in the decade of the ‘50s, compiling 100 wins along with breaking the school victory total after going undefeated with a 16-0 showing in 1957-58 followed by unbeaten marks in 1958-59 (15-0) and 1959-60 (8-0) under Master

Sgt. O.L. Gallman, the fi rst coach to reach the 100-win plateau during his nine-year tenure (1955-63). Army was dominant in the 1960s, compiling 91 wins along with a 12-0 mark and a fi rst-place fi nish at the NRA Sectionals in 1966-67. The 1970s were the most prolifi c in school history as Army com-piled 102 wins, with the 1977-78 squad recording a school-record 18-0 mark under Master Sgt. Ken Hamill. Included among the wins were victories over the Coast Guard, the Royal Military College of Canada, Navy and Ohio State along with a fi rst-place fi nish at the NRA Sectionals. Two years later (1980), the NCAA sponsored its fi rst rifl e champi-onships, and Army fi nished among the leaders as it tied for seventh place that inaugural year. West Point took center stage the following year as host for the NCAA Rifl e Championships with freshman David Cannella, who would go on to become one of the fi nest shooters in school history, helping Army to a sixth-place fi nish. The Black Knight qualifi ed all four years for the NCAA tournament during Cannella’s tenure, during which time he earned eight All-America accolades to include fi ve fi rst team certifi cates. The Black Knights found themselves part of the NCAA fi eld the fi rst 12 years, fi nishing as high as third in 1986. Army was runner-up in smallbore and fourth in air, while three shooters were accorded All-America honors that year. Rhonda Barush placed ninth in smallbore at the NCAAs and Gordon Taras was 15th as both garnered All-Ameri-ca accolades. Barush closed out her career as a fi ve-time All-America after making that list all four years, while Taras went on to become a six-time All-American. Army competed in the MAC (Mid-Atlantic and Metropolitan Cham-pionships) in the mid ‘80s, winning the title over a three-year period (1987-89) during which time Randy Powell, an eight-time All-America, helped write the headlines. Rifl e was discontinued at the intercollegiate ranks in the mid-90s, competing the next three years at the club level before returning to varsity status in 1997-98. Capt. Doug Clark, an Air Force exchange offi cer, over the program’s head reins when it returned to the intercollegiate ranks. Army com-piled a 17-7 mark its fi rst year back, but was not eligible to compete at the NCAA Championships until the following season. The Black Knights posted a 13-1 mark Clark’s second year and hosted the Mid-Atlantic Championships, where they fi nished fi rst in smallbore and third in the aggregate scoring. Clark led Army to a 35-14 record during his three-year tenure, capped in 2000 when plebe Kim Pienkowski was accorded honor-able mention NRA All-America honors in air rifl e. Three members of the squad, Ben Minchhoff, Pienkowski and Joy Monson qualifi ed for the fi nal tryouts for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. Wigger took over the program the following year and met with in-stant success as Army’s lone loss in a 7-1 campaign was to Navy. Pienkowski qualifi ed individually for the NCAAs in air rifl e, where she fi nished 12th in her fi rst appearance. She was selected for fi rst team NRA All-American honors in air rifl e, the fi rst Black Knight named to that unit since Cannella in 1984. Army joined the Great America Rifl e Conference, considered one of the top leagues in the country, the following year. Wigger was voted “Coach of the Year” after leading Army to a fourth-place fi nish its inaugural season. The Black Knights then put the fi nishing touches on the 2002 campaign by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in air rifl e, their fi rst visit as a team since 1991, where they edged Navy by a point for fi fth place. Jared Lostetter, who fi nished ninth at the NCAAs after The 2005 team captured the fi rst NCAA title in school history.


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HISTORYHISTORY

qualifying individually in air rifl e, teamed with Paul Charbonneau, Pi-enkowski and Jesus Tavaras as that foursome combined for a 1541. Lostetter was selected a second team All-American in air rifl e, and Pienkowski was named to the All-Academic team. The Black Knights, who hosted the 2003 NCAA Tournament, did very little traveling that year as the top teams in the country dotted Army’s home schedule. Army however failed to qualify for the NCAAs, but two members of the squad were accorded All-America honors. Pienkowski was tabbed an honorable mention in both smallbore and air rifl e, while Charbonneau was selected to the second unit in smallbore, the fi rst Black Knight named in that discipline since 1992. Charbonneau, a GARC second team all-star pick in smallbore and the aggregate scoring, took medalist honors in smallbore at the 2003 championships, breaking his own school mark with an 1177. The 2003-04 season was another banner year as the Black Knights fi nished fourth in the team scoring at the NCAAs after quali-fying for the fi rst time in both events since 1987. It was also Army’s best showing since placing third in 1986. Army posted its highest score of the season in both smallbore and aggregate en route to placing fourth. Wigger, along with Navy’s coach Bill Kelley, was selected as “Co-Coach of the Year” by the Collegiate Rifl e Coaches Association. It was the second honor for Wigger that season, having been selected for that same accolade by the GARC. Charbonneau, who was eighth individually in air rifl e at the NCAA’s, capped the season with a pair of All-America certifi cates in air rifl e and smallbore. He was also named to the Collegiate Rifl e Coaches Association All-Collegiate team. The Black Knights were runner-up that year at the GARC Champi-onships, their highest showing since joining the league. The combination of the experience returning and the talent of the newcomers would prove a perfect fi t for Army’s magical ride in 2004-05. The Black Knights captured the GARC regular-season title with a perfect 6-0 mark, while posting an 8-2 dual record. After posting the third-highest score in the country at the NCAA Qualifi er, Army fell by four points to arch-rival Navy in its fi nal dual match. Army walked off with a majority of the GARC awards, claiming 15 of 30 all-star certifi cates along with copping two of the major awards with freshman sensation Chris Abalo named the “Rookie of the Year” and Wigger repeating as “Coach of the Year.” The Black Knights fi n-ished second at the conference championships and Abalo earned medalist honors in smallbore and the aggregate scoring. The next stop was the NCAA Championships where Army found itself in second place the opening day, trailing defending champion Alaska Fairbanks by six points following the smallbore competition. Army scored a 2321 in air rifl e the fi nal day to nip Jacksonville State, fi rst in that discipline, by a point for the 2005 NCAA title as just three points separated the top four place winners. Abalo fi nished fourth in both events and Leinberger was seventh in air rifl e, while Wigger repeated as National “Coach of the Year.” Five Black Knights combined for a school record seven All-Ameri-ca certifi cates with Abalo garnering fi rst team honors and Jablonski second team plaudits in both events. Highlighting the 2005-06 dual meet season was Army’s fi rst win over Navy since 1990, snapping the Mids’ 12-match series win streak, en route to posting a 9-2 mark. Army also wrestled the Presi-dent’s Trophy Match from Navy. Named the GARC “Shooter of the Year”, Abalo led Army to runner-up honors at the conference cham-pionships. The Black Knights put the fi nal touches on the campaign earning the bronze at the NCAA Championships. Five Black Knights

were selected for NRA All-America honors with Abalo repeating as a fi rst team pick in both events, while John Fiddes also garnered a pair of certifi cates. Abalo was crowned an NRA National Collegiate cham-pion in smallbore and air rifl e based on his performance at the NRA Sectionals, which coincided with the NCAA Qualifi er. The 2006-07 season saw Army defeat Navy for the second straight year along with posting its fi rst win over the Midshipmen at West Point since 1985 in posting a 10-2 mark - its highest total since 1998-99. The Black Knights were runner-up at the NCAA’s and GARC Championships. Abalo repeated as the GARC’s top shooter along with being named the CRCA “Shooter of the Match” at the NCAAs where he fi nished third in air rifl e and fourth in smallbore. In 2007-08 Abalo led the Black Knights to their fi rst-ever GARC Championship, runner-up honors at the NCAA’s and fi rst-ever team title in smallbore, along with winning the Palmyra Tournament. Army closed out the year with a 10-1 mark that included its third straight win over Navy. The most decorated shooter in school history, Abalo was the GARC’s Shooter of the Match for the third straight year, cap-tured the NCAA smallbore title, set a national smallbore prone record and NCAA smallbore record, and repeated as a fi rst team All-Ameri-can in both events. Freshman Stephen Scherer became just the third Cadet in West Point history to compete at the Olympic Games (Bei-jing) after fi nishing fi rst at the Trials in air rifl e. The GARC “Rookie of the Year,” he fi nished third in smallbore and fi fth in air rifl e at the NCAA’s along with earning fi rst team All-America honors. Caught in a rebuilding year in 2008-09, Army turned in a strong showing at the NCAA Championships with a sixth place fi nish. Senior team captain Wesley Hess and freshman Kelly Buck fi nished fourth individually in air rifl e and smallbore, respectively. Hess was named the Great America Conference’s “Senior of the Year,” repeated as a fi rst team GARC all-star in air rifl e along with earning honorable mention in the combined scoring. He capped his senior team with fi rst team NRA All-America honors in air rifl e for the second time in his career.

Coaching RecordsCoach Years Season W L Pct.Capt. P.W. Newgarden 1 1919 1 0 1.000Self Coached 1 1923 5 1 .833Maj. C.A. Bagby 3 1924-26 22 0 1.000Lt. R.A. Schow 1 1927 7 1 .875Capt. F.A. Macon 2 1928-29 10 1 .909Capt. H.C. Barnes 2 1930-31 10 2 .833Lt. F.X. Mulvihill 5 1932-35 40 4 .909Lt. T.S. Riggs 1 1936 9 1 .900Lt. O.C. Kromer 2 1939-40 11 3 .786Capt. R.L. Jewett 1 1941 9 0 1.000Lt. Col. J.L. Throckmorton 3 1942, 47-48 22 4 .846Maj. C.F. Leonard 1 1943 11 1 .917Maj. H.N. Moorman 1 1944 10 0 1.000Lt. R.A. Wise 1 1945 4 2 .667Maj. C.E. Mowry 1 1946 13 1 .929Lt. Col. George Murray 3 1949-51 29 6 .829Col. E.T. Miller 2 1952-53 17 4 .810Maj. J.R. Waterman 1 1954 10 1 .909Sgt. Maj. O.L. Gallman 9 1955-63 101 12 .894Sgt. Maj. A.J. O’Neill 10 1963-67 95 13 .880 1968-74Master Sgt. Ken Hamill 21 1967-68 279 54 .838 1974-94Capt. Doug Clark 3 1997-00 35 14 .714Maj. Ron Wigger 9 2000- 71 27 .724Totals 84 821 152 .844


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ALL-AMERICANSALL-AMERICANS

Chris Abalo (USMA ’08)

David Cannella (USMA ’84)

Paul Charbonneau (USMA ‘05)

Year Name 1942 Richard Wise1947 Amos Mathews1948 Lucien Bolduc Amos Mathews1949 Lucius Bolduc Amos Mathews1951 Stewart Peterson1956 Gordon Rogers1957 Gordon Rogers1958 James Jones1963 William Bradburn1964 William Bradburn1965 William Bradburn1966 Michael Fuller1968 David Taylor1982 David Cannella+1983 David Cannella +1984 David Cannella^1985 Rhonda Barush*1986 Gordon Taras*1987 Gordon Taras* Randy Powell*

Year Name1990 Dale Herr*1991 Dale Herr2001 Kim Pienkowski^2004 Paul Charbonneau^2005 Chris Abalo+2006 Chris Abalo+2007 Chris Abalo+ Wesley Hess^2008 Chris Abalo+ Stephen Scherer+ Brian Kern*2009 Wesley Hess^

Eight-Time SelectionChris Abalo, 2005-08

Five-Time SelectionDavid Cannella, 1982-84

Three-Time SelectionAmos Mathews, 1947-49William Bradburn, 1963-65

First Team

Second TeamYear Name 1936 C.T. Compton1940 Walter Gunster1942 John Baer Howard Wehrle1948 William DeGraf1950 Lucien Bolduc William DeGraf1952 Stewart Paterson1962 John King1963 John Ward1964 Ladd Metzner John Ward Michael Wilkan1965 Gary Chambers1967 Paul Bigelman David Taylor1969 Jim Plunkett1970 Robert Strong

Year Name1971 Peter Kippie Jim Plunkett Robert Strong Greg Wenzloff1972 Gary Stinnett Robert Strong1974 Robert Jacobs Gary Stinnett Daniel Szarenski1978 Daniel Szarenski1981 David Cannella+ Robert Jacobs*1983 Rhonda Barush*1984 Rhonda Barush* David Cannella* 1985 Rhonda Barush^ Randy Powell+ Gordon Taras+

Year Name1986 Rhonda Barush* Randy Powell+1987 Randy Powell^ Gordon Taras^ 1988 Randy Powell+ 1991 Dale Herr1992 Duncan Lamb*2002 Jared Lostetter^2003 Paul Charbonneau*2004 Paul Charbonneau*2005 Mike Jablonski+ Lucas Leinberger* David Amiot^2006 Lucas Leinberger* David Amiot^ John Fiddes*2007 David Amiot* Brian Kern*2008 David Amiot+ Brian Kern^

Year Name1970 Jim Plunkett1971 Blake Gendron Myron Pangman1972 Blake Gendron Jim Plunkett1972 Blake Gendron Jim Plunkett

Year Name1981 William Schneider* Robert Jacobs^ 1984 Gordon Taras^1988 Dale Herr^2000 Kim Pienkowski^2003 Kim Pienkowski+

Year Name2005 Paul Charbonneau^2006 John Fiddes^ Brian Kern*2007 John Fiddes*

Honorable Mention

Key: * Smallbore ^ Air Rifl e +Smallbore and Air Rifl e

Eight Time All-Americans

Chris Abalo ‘08 (SB 05-08; AR 05-08)

David Cannella ‘84 (SB 881-84; AR 05-08)

Randy Powell ‘88 (SB 85-88; AF 85, -88)

Six-Time All-Americans

Gordon Taras ‘87 (SB 85-87; AR 84, 85, 87)

Highlights


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ARMY RECORDSARMY RECORDS

INDIVIDUAL Air Rifl e, 60 Shots (600): 597, Stephen Scherer Olympic Trials, 03/02/08 597, Chris Abalo Junior Olympics, 03/21/06Air Rifl e, Season Avg.: 589.46, Chris Abalo, 2007-08Smallbore Three-Position (600): 590, Chris Abalo, 02/04/07Smallbore Standing: 199, John Fiddes vs. Ohio State, 1/21/06Smallbore Kneeling: 199, Chris Abalo vs. Kentucky, 10/08/05Smallbore Season Avg.: 586.167, Chris Abalo, 2007-08

TEAMAir Rifl e, 240 Shots (2400):2357 vs. NC State & Nebraska, Nov. 18, 2007: Wesley Hess (591), Chris Abalo (590), Brian Kern (589), Stephen Scherer (587)

Smallbore Three-Position, 240 Shots (2400):2337 vs. Texas Christian, Nov. 10, 2007:Chris Abolo (589), Stephen Scherer (586),Brian Kern (584), Davida Amiot (578)

Combined Air Rifl e/Smallbore, 480 shots (4800):4686 vs. Navy, Feb. 9, 2008:Chris Abalo (588/588), Stephen Scherer (591/585),David Amiot (583/582), Brian Kern (580 SM), Wesley Hess (589 AR)

Army At The NCAA ChampionshipsYear Coach Smallbore Air Aggregate Place1979-80 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill 4473 1428 5901 7th1980-81 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill 4561 1499 6060 6th1981-82 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill 4537 1477 6014 6th1982-83 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill 4561 1512 6073 5th1983-84 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill 4575 1483 6058 6th1984-85 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill (Ret.) 4559 1504 6063 5th1985-86 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill (Ret.) 4622 1516 6138 3rd 1986-87 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill (Ret.) 4572 1522 6094 6th1989-90 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill (Ret.) 4579 --- 4579 #1990-91 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill (Ret.) --- 1485 1485 !1991-92 Master Sgt. Ken Hamill (Ret.) 4558 --- 4558 +2001-02 Maj. Ron Wigger --- 1541 1541 9th2003-04 Maj. Ron Wigger 4638 1538 6176 4th2004-05 Maj. Ron Wigger 2328 2331 4659 1st2005-06 Maj. Ron Wigger 2318 2332 4650 3rd2006-07 Maj. Ron Wigger 2307 2337 4644 2nd2007-08 Major Ron Wigger 2318 2334 4652 2nd2008-09 Major Ron Wigger 2219 2320 4539 6th

The NCAA began sponsoring collegiate rifl e in 1979-80

•#Army was third in smallbore in 1990•!Sixth in air rifl e in 1991 and •+Seventh in smallbore in 1992

•Army fi nished fi fth in air rifl e in 2002 and ninth overall (prior to that only included places for teams that competed in both events).

•Army captured its fi rst NCAA title in school history at the 2005 Championships.

•The Black Knights have garnered Top 3 fi nishes under present head coach Ron Wigger four of the past fi ve years.

•After capturing the team title in 2005, Army copped the bronze in 2006 and the silver the next two years.

•The Black Knights captured their fi rst individual and team title in smallbore in 2008 when Chris Abalo led an Army sweep (fi rst in NCAA history) of the top three places en route to winning that discipline.

2008 NCAA Smallbore Sweep (l-r) Stephen Scherer (3rd),Brian Kern (2nd), Chris Abalo (1st)


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ACADEMY LEADERSHIPACADEMY LEADERSHIP

LT. GEN.FRANKLIN L. HAGENBECK

SUPERINTENDENT

In the summer of 2005, Brig. Gen. Patrick Finnegan was named Dean of the Academic Board at the United States Military Academy. Upon graduation from West Point in 1971, he was commissioned a second lieutenant, attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and earned a Master of Public Admin-istration degree in 1973. As a cadet, he served as Chairman of the Honor Committee and head manager of the Army football team. Finnegan received his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia Law School in 1979. While attending law school, he was a member and edi-tor of the Law Review and was elected to the Or-der of the Coif. Finnegan has served JAG Corps tours at Bad Kreuznach, Germany (1979-82); the Judge Advo-cate General’s School, Charlottesville, Va. (1983-87); Fort Bragg, N.C. (1988-93); MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. (1994-96); and Stuttgart, Germany (1996-98). He served as USMA Staff Judge Ad-vocate from August 1998 until he was appointed as Professor and Head of the Department of Law in July 1999. Prior to his appointment as Dean, Finnegan also served as head offi cer representa-tive for the Army football team. During his time at Fort Bragg, Finnegan was deployed to the Persian Gulf to participate in Op-erations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Finnegan’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal (oak leaf cluster), Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (two oak leaf clusters), Army Com-mendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (two oak leaf clusters), Humanitarian Service Medal, Saudi Arabia/Kuwait Liberation Medal and De-fense Meritorious Unit Award (oak leaf cluster). A member of the Virginia Bar and the Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society, Finnegan has also been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Finnegan and his wife, Joan, have two daugh-ters: Katie Finnegan Rucker and Jenna Finnegan Bechen; and three grandchildren.

BRIG. GEN.WILLIAM E. RAPP

COMMANDANT OF CADETS

BRIG. GEN.PATRICK FINNEGAN

DEAN OF THE ACADEMIC BOARD

Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck assumed du-ties as the 57th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy in June 2006. Hagenbeck was commissioned from West Point in 1971. He earned a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and served as an assistant football coach at Florida State University. While assigned to the Academy’s Department of Physi-cal Education, he earned a Master of Business Administration from Long Island University. His military education includes the Army War College, Army Command and General Staff College and the Infantry Offi cer Advanced Course. Hagenbeck has commanded at every level from company through division, culminating as Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Divi-sion. He has also served in the 25th Infantry Di-vision, 10th Mountain Division, 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions and The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. Among his other assignments, Hagenbeck served as the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, and in numerous staff positions. His Joint assignments include: Exchange Of-fi cer and Tactics Instructor to the Royal Austra-lian Infantry Center; Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Global and Multi-Lateral Issues and Western Hemisphere; Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5); and Deputy Director for Current Operations, J33, Joint Staff. He served as Commander, Coalition Joint Task Force Mountain, Operations Enduring Freedom/Anaconda and Deputy Commanding General, Combined Joint Task Force 180 in Afghanistan. Hagenbeck’s decorations include the Distin-guished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal (oak leaf cluster); Legion of Merit (four oak leaf clusters); Bronze Star (oak leaf cluster); Meritorious Service Medal (two oak leaf clusters); Army Commendation Medal (oak leaf cluster); Army Achievement Medal; Air Assault Badge; Mas-ter Parachutist Badge; Expert Infantryman Badge; Australian, British, and Honduran Airborne Wings; Joint Chiefs of Staff Identifi cation Badge and Army Staff Identifi cation Badge.

Brig. General William E. Rapp took command of the United States Corps of Cadets as West Point’s 72nd Com-mandant of Cadets in October 2009. Rapp was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers from the U.S. Military Academy in 1984. His civilian education includes a Masters of Arts in Political Science and a PhD in International Re-lations from Stanford University. His military education includes the Engineer Offi cer Basic Course, Infantry Of-fi cer Advanced Course, US Army Command and General Staff College, the Army War College where he earned a Masters of Arts in National Security Policy, and the Joint Forces Staff College. He was the distinguished honor graduate of his Infantry Offi cer Advance Course, Ranger School class, Jumpmaster class, and the Strategist Pro-gram at CGSC. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Virginia. Rapp’s early assignments included duties as a Platoon Leader, Executive Offi cer, Assistant S3, and the Corps Operations Offi cer in Germany and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He commanded an airborne engineer company during Operation Desert Storm. Following grad school, he served as an instructor and assistant professor in the De-partment of Social Sciences at USMA and as an Engineer Battalion S3 and Group S3 at Fort Lewis, Wash. He also served as the Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) before commanding the 54th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Mech) in Bamberg, Germany. Following command, Rapp was selected for the Coun-cil of Foreign Relations Fellowship at the Institute for In-ternational Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan. He returned to the States in the summer of 2003 to attend the Army War College before proceeding to Fort Lewis to serve as the Chief of Plans (G3) for I Corps Headquarters. In June 2005, he assumed command of 555th Combat Engineer Group and deployed in support of the 101st Airborne Di-vision for Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2007, Rapp completed his command and returned to Iraq as the Director of the Commander’s Initiatives Group serving under GEN Petraeus in Multi-National Forces-Iraq. In his most recent assignment, Rapp served as the Commanding General of the Northwestern Divi-sion of the Corps of Engineers in Portland, Oregon. Rapp’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with fi ve oak leaf clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters. He has earned the Combat Action Badge, Master Parachutist wings, Air Assault wings, Ranger Tab, and the Engineer Regiment’s Bronze DeFleury Medal. Rapp is married to the former Debbie Biggi of Sacra-mento, California. They have three children: Anna Marie, David and Robby.


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PLAYER PROFILESPLAYER PROFILESPLAYER PROFILESDIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS KEVIN ANDERSONDIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS KEVIN ANDERSON

Since Kevin An-derson was intro-duced as Army’s Director of Athletics on Dec. 13, 2004, West Point’s inter-collegiate athletic program has en-joyed immense suc-cess both on and off the “fi elds of friendly strife.” Boasting more than two decades of leadership and ex-perience, Anderson

departed his post as executive associate athletic director at Oregon State University to accept the challenge of re-invigorating Army’s proud athletic program. The veteran administrator has played a large role in accomplishing that goal during his fi ve years along the banks of the Hudson. In that time, Army has sent 19 intercollegiate ath-letic teams to the NCAAs, captured its fi rst National Championship in more than 50 years, witnessed the revitalization of its hockey and men’s basket-ball programs, and experienced unparalleled suc-cess in several others, such as baseball, women’s volleyball, women’s tennis and women’s basket-ball. A year ago, Army’s women’s soccer team became West Point’s ninth different intercollegiate program to advance to the NCAAs under Anderson’s watch, while the baseball team reached a regional fi nal for the fi rst time in school history. During the 2004-05 academic year, Anderson’s fi rst at West Point, Army’s athletic program won a National Championship in rifl e, sent a record seven teams to postseason appearances, defeated Navy in the year-long series for the fi rst time since 1978 and forged an overall winning percentage of .582. It marked Army’s fi nest overall performance in more than a decade. Seventeen of Army’s 25 intercollegiate teams carved records of .500 or better that year as the Black Knights put forth their highest year-long win-ning percentage since a .604 effort in 1993-94. In addition, Army reclaimed the Patriot League’s Presidents’ Cup—signifying the league’s all-sports champion—for the fi rst time since 1997. Army sent its rifl e, gymnastics, baseball, la-crosse, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and golf squads to postseason play, surpassing the pre-vious standard of six teams in NCAA action. Six of Army’s eight spring teams won Patriot League titles that year. Army’s success opposite Navy snapped a 27-year drought in the all-sports rivalry, giving the Black Knights their fi rst series win over Navy since going 9-8-1 (.528) in 1977-78. The Black Knights used their 2004-05 success as a springboard to continued outstanding perfor-mances in 2005-06. Army’s fall and winter teams combined to forge back-to-back winning records for the fi rst time since 1993-94.

Additionally, four Army teams earned NCAA Tour-nament appearances in 2005-06, highlighted by the women’s basketball team, which earned the Academy’s fi rst postseason berth at the Division I level. In 2006-07, Anderson presided over a re-surgence of Army’s men’s basketball and hockey programs, as well as the continued success of the Black Knights’ women’s basketball squad, which set a single season school record for victories at the Division I level. All three programs fl ourished again the following year with hockey earning its fi rst Atlantic Hockey Association regular-season crown and the men’s basketball squad advancing in the Patriot League postseason for the second straight year, a fi rst since 1995 and 1996. Additionally, a young Black Knights’ baseball team captured its third regular season Patriot League championship in fi ve years and Army’s women’s tennis team earned its fourth consecutive conference championship and accom-panying NCAA berth. Three Army teams traveled to the NCAAs last season, headlined by the women’s soccer and baseball squads. The Black Knights’ baseball team gained national attention by reaching the fi nals of the Austin Regional and nearly upsetting national top seed and NCAA runnerup Texas in a champion-ship game. Off the fi eld, construction of the Foley Athletic Center, a spacious indoor practice facility for foot-ball, was completed in the winter of 2007. During Anderson’s time at West Point, Randall Hall, which houses offi ces, locker rooms and team rooms for men’s and women’s basketball, as well as luxury suites that overlook historic Michie Stadium, was also unveiled. Army’s fabled football home received additional state-of-the-art amenities last summer with the in-stallation of a new FieldTurf playing surface and a sparkling 30-foot-by-50-foot scoreboard, complete with a 20-foot-by-50-foot high-defi nition video board. In the last year alone, Anderson led the search that resulted in the hiring of Rich Ellerson as Ar-my’s 36th head football coach. He was also instru-mental in negotiating a broadcast extension with CBS Sports to televise the Army-Navy football game to 2018, a new national television deal for Army’s football program, separate contracts with three dif-ferent cities to serve as host for future Army-Navy games, and a landmark agreement with the New York Yankees that will result in Army’s football team playing six games over the next years at Yankee Stadium. As part of the deal, Army will battle Notre Dame next fall in the fi rst college football game to be played at the Yankees’ majestic new home. Prior to his busy 2008-09 academic year, An-derson brokered major broadcast agreements for Army’s football program with ESPN and WABC Ra-dio (770-AM), as well as aligning the Black Knights’ athletics teams with Nike, as part of a signifi cant apparel deal, and Learfi eld Sports Properties. The Army “A” Club has continued to fl ourish under An-derson’s leadership, establishing school records for annual giving during each of his four years at the Academy.

During his time at Oregon State, Anderson di-rected the athletic department’s external opera-tions, to include marketing and promotions, sports information, ticket operations and the Beaver Ath-letic Student Fund. He also oversaw Oregon State’s highly suc-cessful football, men’s basketball and baseball programs, leading the search and recruitment for head football coach Mike Riley. Anderson, who ranks as the fi rst African-Amer-ican to hold the position of director of athletics at West Point, was a member of an OSU management staff that balanced the athletic department’s bud-get for the fi rst time in nearly 15 years. Anderson took residence in Corvallis, Ore., in De-cember 2002 after serving as executive associate athletic director for external affairs at the Univer-sity of California. He joined the California staff in November 1997 as assistant athletic director for annual programs and was promoted to associate athletic director for development, tickets and the Bears’ baseball team in March 1999. At California, Anderson oversaw all fundrais-ing matters involving capital giving and capital projects, as well as ticketing operations. He also functioned as the primary major gift offi cer for the athletic department. Under his leadership, California raised more than $5 million annually, including a record number of funds in fi scal years 2001 and 2002. Anderson also headed efforts to raise money for a renovation of California’s Memorial Football Stadium. Before accepting his position with the Golden Bears, Anderson served as area executive director of the YMCA of the East Bay from 1995 to 1997. He was director of annual giving with Stanford Univer-sity’s athletic department from 1993 to 1995. While at Stanford, Anderson worked with the Stanford University Provost, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Anderson served as director of development, marketing and communications of the San Fran-cisco Education Fund (1990-93) and was Northern California development director for the United Ne-gro Fund (1989-90). He was also a manager with the Xerox Corporation from 1980 through 1989. Anderson graduated from San Francisco State University in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in po-litical science. He is also a 1981 graduate of the Xerox Corporation’s New Manager School and the Xerox Marketing School in 1986. He completed the executive management program at the Sports Management Institute in 1995. In addition to his duties at West Point, Ander-son has served as chairman for the National Asso-ciation of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Division I-A Athletic Directors McClendon Minority Scholarship Steering Committee and is a member of the NCAA’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group. In September, he became chairman of the Division I Men’s Basketball Issues Committee. Most recently, Anderson was elected Third Vice President of NACDA in June. Kevin and his wife, Moira, have four children: daughters, Olivia and Michaela; and sons, Kevin Jr. and Chauncey.


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BORMAN GRANT HAIG KIMBROUGH KIMSEY SCHWARZKOPF

ROBERT E. LEE ’29 The Academy’s ninth Superintendent (1852-55), Lee was a model cadet during his four years at West Point. He graduated second in his class and never earned a single demerit during his four years at the Academy. At the beginning of the Civil War, he was se-lected to serve as Commanding Gen-eral of the Army, but instead resigned his commission and was named Gen-eral-In-Chief of the Confederate Army from 1861 to 1865. Lee’s surrender to Ulysses S. Grant (USMA 1843), at Ap-pomattox Court House, Va., ended the Civil War. Fort Lee, Va., was named in his honor.

ULYSSES S. GRANT ’43 Grant distinguished himself during the Civil War at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863; his victory secured control of the Mississippi River for the Union. President Abe Lincoln later appointed him Commanding General of the Army in March 1864. On April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Va., Robert E. Lee (USMA 1829) surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to him, end-ing the Civil War. Grant later served as the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877. Today, his image graces the $50 bill.

GEORGE W. GOETHALS ’80 Goethals became an architect and was builder of the Panama Canal, 1904 TO 1914.

JOHN J. PERSHING ’86 Considered the second most senior offi cer in Army history, behind only George Washington, Pershing served as commander of the American Expe-ditionary Force during World War I. The two-million-plus troops of the AEF made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Imperial Germany. Pershing’s abilities as a leader distinguished him among European commanders, and through repeated successes on the battlefi eld, promoted American prestige around the world. He served as Army Chief of Staff in 1921, and was named Gen-eral of the Armies of the United States upon his retirement in 1924.

DOUGLAS MacARTHUR ’03 After World War I, MacArthur re-turned to West Point to serve as the Academy’s 31st Superintendent from 1919 to 1922. During that time, he was responsible for the revitalization of the Academy. He was later promoted to General of the Army and served as Supreme Allied Commander in the Pa-cifi c Theater during World War II. Dur-ing that time, he received the Medal of Honor for leading defense prepara-tion and operations on the Philippine Islands. He later served as Supreme Allied Commander, Japan, and as com-mander, United Nations Command in the Far East. He was one of only fi ve offi cers to be promoted to General of the Army (fi ve stars).

GEORGE S. PATTON JR. ’09 “Old Blood and Guts,” Patton was one of the most colorful command-ers in the Army. During World War II the famed commander of the 2nd Armored Division and later the Third Army displayed courage and daring as prominently as the pair of ivory handled revolvers he wore. Patton accomplished one of the most remark-able feats in military history in Decem-ber 1944, when he quickly turned the Third Army northward to reinforce the Allied southern fl ank against the Ger-man attack in the Battle of the Bulge. The General’s doctrine of aggressive employment of massive armor forces continue to prove themselves in com-bat arenas around the world.

OMAR N. BRADLEY ’15 During his career, Bradley earned a reputation as one of the best infantry commanders in World War II. He com-manded the 82nd Airborne and 28th Infantry Divisions before going on to command the 1st Army and the 12th Army Group. After the war he served as Army Chief of Staff from 1948 to 1949 and served as the fi rst Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1949 to 1953. He was the last Army offi cer to be promoted to General of the Army (fi ve stars), and the Bradley fi ghting ve-hicle is named in his honor.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER ’15 During World War II, Eisenhower served as Supreme Commander of Al-lied Forces Europe from 1943 to 1944, during which he led the D-Day invasion of Europe. During that time, he was promoted to General of the Army (fi ve stars). After the war, he served as Army Chief of Staff from 1945 to 1948 and was named President of Columbia Uni-versity in 1948. He served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 and was one of only fi ve offi cers to be promoted to General of the Army (fi ve stars).

ALEXANDER M. HAIG JR. ’47 Haig served as Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon from 1973 to 1974; Supreme Allied Commander in Europe 1974 to 1979; President of United Technologies Corporation 1980 to 1981 and Secretary of State during the Reagan administration from 1981 to 1982.

FRANK BORMAN ’50 An astronaut from 1962 to 1970, Bor-man commanded the fi rst circumlunar fl ight of the earth. He later served as President of Eastern Airlines.

FIDEL V. RAMOS ’50 One of the Academy’s international cadets, Ramos served as a Philippine Army offi cer after graduation. He even-tually became the country’s military Chief of Staff and later Secretary of National Defense. He also served as President of the Republic of the Philip-pines from 1992 to 1998.

EDWIN E. ALDRIN ’51 An astronaut from 1963 to 1972, Aldrin participated in the fi rst manned lunar landing with Michael Collins (USMA ’52) and was the second man to walk on the moon.

EDWARD WHITE ’52 An astronaut from 1962 to 1967, White was the fi rst man to walk in space and was one of the three astro-nauts killed in the Apollo I disaster in 1967.

H. NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF ’56 As Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command from 1988 to 1991, Schwarzkopf’s command ul-timately responded to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait with the largest U.S. deploy-ment since the Vietnam War, including portions of the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps as well as units from dozens of nations around the world. After retiring, Schwartzkopf received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

PETER M. DAWKINS ’59 Dawkins was Cadet Brigade Com-mander (First Captain of the U.S. Corps of Cadets) as a senior and became the third Heisman Trophy winner in Army football history. He later served as chairman and CEO of Primerica.

JAMES V. KIMSEY ’62 Kimsey was the founding chairman of America Online, and was named chair-man emeritus in 1996. He founded the Kimsey Foundation in 1996.

MICHAEL W. KRZYZEWSKI ’69 Krzyzewski served as head basket-ball coach at West Point from 1974 to 1979 before assuming similar duties at Duke University. Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils to three national championships and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Octo-ber 2001. He coached the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

RAYMOND T. ODIERNO ‘76 Odierno commanded the 4th Infantry Division during the fall of 2003 which, along with Special Forces units, cap-tured Saddam Hussein in December of that year. Odierno helped plan and coordinate the raid that netted Iraq’s fallen dictator.

ROBERT S. KIMBROUGH ’89 Kimbrough was named one of 11 new astronaut candidates by NASA in May 2004. Kimbrough ranks among Army Baseball’s career leaders in saves. A veteran of Desert Storm, he currently works for NASA in Houston as a fl ight simulation engineer and participated in a space shuttle mission last fall.

DISTINGUISHED GRADUATESDISTINGUISHED GRADUATES


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THE UNITED STATESMILITARY ACADEMY

THIS IS WEST POINTTHIS IS WEST POINT


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The mission of the U.S. Military Academy is to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country; pro-fessional growth throughout a career as an offi cer in the U.S. Army; and a lifetime of selfl ess service to the Nation. Founded on March 16, 1802, the Academy celebrated its Bicenten-nial in 2002. But West Point’s role in America’s history dates to the Revo-lutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the commanding plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River. Gen. George Washington considered West Point to be the most strategic position in America. He personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifi cations in 1778 after problems arose with French engineers originally placed in charge of the design. In 1779, Gen-eral Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point. Continental soldiers built forts, batteries and defensive barriers. A 100-ton iron chain was extended across the Hudson to control river traffi c. Today, several links from that chain are arranged at Trophy Point as a reminder of West Point’s original fortifi cations. In 1802 President Thomas Jefferson signed the legislation establish-ing the U.S. Military Academy to create an institution devoted to the arts and sciences of warfare. This effectively eliminated America’s wartime reliance on foreign engineers and artillerists. West Point became the na-tion’s fi rst engineering school and served as the model for engineering programs which were eventually established at other colleges. Col. Sylvanus Thayer, the “Father of the Military Academy,” served as Superintendent from 1817 through 1833. He upgraded academic stan-dards, instilled military discipline and emphasized honorable conduct. Early graduates were largely responsible for the construction of the na-tion’s initial railway lines, bridges, harbors, and roads. Although the cur-riculum maintains its focus on engineering, in recent decades the pro-gram of instruction has markedly changed, providing cadets a selection of more than 40 majors. This tradition of academic and military excel-lence, guided by a demanding standard of moral and ethical conduct, remains the cornerstone of the West Point experience. It is said at West Point that “much of the history we teach was made by those people we taught.” The Academy has produced famous lead-ers throughout its illustrious past…Civil War Generals Grant, Sherman, Lee, and Jackson, to name but a few. In World War I, 34 of the 38 corps and division commanders were graduates. World War II would see many graduates reach brigadier general or higher, to include Eisenhower, Mac-Arthur, Bradley and Patton. In more recent confl icts, MacArthur, Ridgway, Westmoreland, Abrams, Schwarzkopf and Abizaid were in command. Academy graduates have also excelled in air and space exploration, and countless others went on from military service to become leaders in medicine, law, business, religion and science. Since its founding, the Military Academy fulfi lls the same mission as it always has . . . to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets. It accomplishes this mission by developing cadets in three essential ar-eas: intellectual, physical and military. These developmental paths are balanced and fully integrated into the daily life of each young man and woman at the Academy. Intellectual growth is fostered through an academic curriculum that provides a broad liberal education in the arts and sciences. The elec-tives program builds upon the foundation of the core, allowing cadets to develop even greater competence in selected areas. In addition, the fi elds-of-study and majors nurture the development of creativity, critical thinking, and self-directed learning, essential characteristics of 21st cen-tury offi cers. The four-year academic experience leads to a bachelor of science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army. Physical development is achieved through a rigorous athletic and physical education program. Each cadet participates at the intercolle-giate, club or intramural level each semester. This readies the cadet for the physical demands of military life and helps teach good judgment and

self-discipline, even while under mental and physical stress. Military development begins with the cadet’s fi rst day at West Point. Most military training takes place during the summer, with new cadets undergoing Cadet Basic Training, or Beast Barracks, their fi rst year, fol-lowed the second summer by Cadet Field Training. Cadets spend their third and fourth summers serving in active Army units around the world; attending specialty training such as airborne, air assault or northern warfare or helping to train the fi rst- and second-year cadets. The Cadet Leader Development System seeks to give the cadets increasing respon-sibility until they are ready to receive their commissions and assume their duties as leaders in today’s Army. Moral and ethical values guide cadets throughout their four years at West Point. Commitment to the Academy’s “Bedrock Values,” based on integrity and respect for the dignity of others, begins on the fi rst day. In-tegrity is refl ected in the Cadet Honor Code which states: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” Respect denotes that cadets treat others with the same respect and dignity they themselves would expect. At West Point, it is not enough to train leaders—they must be lead-ers of character. Admission is keenly competitive and is open to young men and wom-en from all states and territories and from every socioeconomic level. Prospective cadets must receive a nomination by a member of Congress or from the Department of the Army. The Academy seeks candidates who possess records of success in academics, athletics and leadership indicative of well-rounded individu-als. Although the life of a cadet is demanding, there remains an array of club activities ranging from golf, skiing, boxing, crew and orienteering to such organizations as the cadet radio station, Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers-Big Sisters. Additionally, the U.S. Corps of Cadets hosts a Special Olympics event each spring. Today’s Military Academy is a vastly different institution from the small academy legislated into being by Congress in 1802. Originally just 1,800 acres, the Academy has grown to more than 16,000 acres. The fi rst graduating class numbered just two men; today’s classes graduate more than 900 new offi cers an-nually, both men and women, who are prepared for leadership roles within the Army. With the expansion of knowl-edge and the changing needs of the United States Army and the nation, life at West Point has changed to keep pace. Ever mindful of its rich her-i t a g e , t h e U . S . M i l i -t a r y A c a d -emy is develop-ing lead-ers for tomorrow, and its focus remains the national needs of the 21st century.

THIS IS WEST POINTTHIS IS WEST POINT


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Army’s rifl e team falls in line with the rest of West Point’s varsity teams when it comes to visibility in the community. The Black Knights take great pride in reaching out to youth as well as well as serving as role modes. This fall the team participated at Black Knights Alley, a family fun zone prior to Army home football games, as they participated in face paining. Army’s cadet-athletes have a uniqueness about them, which makes them ideal role models for today’s youth.

Army Rifl e In The Community

OCTOBEROCTOBER 3 at Jacksonville State 8 a.m. 3 at Jacksonville State 8 a.m. 16 NORTH CAROLINA STATE* 2 p.m. 16 NORTH CAROLINA STATE* 2 p.m. 18 NEBRASKA* 9 a.m. 18 NEBRASKA* 9 a.m. 31 at Mississippi* 8 a.m. 31 at Mississippi* 8 a.m.

NOVEMBERNOVEMBER 1 vs. Memphis* at Oxford, Miss. 8 a.m. 1 vs. Memphis* at Oxford, Miss. 8 a.m. 7 7 PRESIDENT’S TROPHY MATCH 9 PRESIDENT’S TROPHY MATCH 9 a.m.a.m. 14 at West Virginia* 8 a.m. 14 at West Virginia* 8 a.m. DECEMBERDECEMBER 6 COAST GUARD 9 a.m. 6 COAST GUARD 9 a.m.

JANUARYJANUARY 16 KENTUCKY* 9 a.m 16 KENTUCKY* 9 a.m 24 at Palmyra Tournament 9 a.m. 24 at Palmyra Tournament 9 a.m. vs. Ohio State vs. Ohio State 29 NRA Sectionals 29 NRA Sectionals (Philadelphia, Pa.) 2 p.m. (Philadelphia, Pa.) 2 p.m.

FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 6 at Navy 8 a.m. 6 at Navy 8 a.m. 13 USP (NCAA Qualifi er) 9 a.m. 13 USP (NCAA Qualifi er) 9 a.m. 20 GARC Championships 20 GARC Championships (Oxford, Miss.) 9 a.m. (Oxford, Miss.) 9 a.m. 21 GARC Championships 21 GARC Championships (Oxford, Miss.) 9 a.m. (Oxford, Miss.) 9 a.m.MARCH MARCH 12 NCAA Championships TBA 12 NCAA Championships TBA (Fort Worth, Texas) (Fort Worth, Texas) 13 NCAA Championships TBA 13 NCAA Championships TBA (Fort Worth, Texas) (Fort Worth, Texas)

*GARC Match*GARC MatchHOME MATCHES IN CAPSHOME MATCHES IN CAPSAll Times EasternAll Times Eastern

2009-10 ARMY RIFLE SCHEDULE2009-10 ARMY RIFLE SCHEDULE

2009-10 Army Rifle Media Guide

Documents

Transcript of 2009-10 Army Rifle Media Guide